Animi Fracti
by miano53
Summary: The Hero defeated, killed by the Demon King. The Princesses fled, leaving their lands leaderless. The Demon King emerged victorious, creating a dark empire. A sacred land changed, falling into an eternal winter. A thousand years pass and the Hero returns with a shattered mind, no courage or memories and charged with protecting a land that doesn't want to be saved. (AU)
1. Chapter 1: Aboda Village

" _But then, when all hope had died, and the hour of doom seemed at hand... a young boy clothed in green appeared as if from nowhere. Wielding the blade of evil's bane, he sealed the dark one away and gave the land light."_

 _-Story of the First Great Cataclysm_

Chapter One: Aboda Village

 _After delivering the final blow, the Hero Chosen by the Gods, Link of Ordon, was exhausted and gravely injured. He stumbled towards the crown princess of Hyrule, Zelda, as she congratulated him and the duo remembered the Twilight Princess', Midna, sacrifice. Before Link could open his mouth to thank her, four lights appeared behind him and saw the Light Spirits._

 _"Huh?" Link said, looking in awe._

 _He saw a small figure in the distance that looked like the impish Twili. The hero ran, limping on his way there and hoping that it was her after seeing the Dark King Ganondorf crushing the Fused Shadow. When he arrived, he saw someone that didn't look at all like the imp. Instead, a tall, pale-skinned, red haired and ruby-eyed woman stood up. Robes of black and green were scantily clad on her body and emerald tattoos covered the exposed parts of her legs and arms._

" _What? Say something! Am I so beautiful that you've no words left?" the woman asked._

" _M-Midna? Is that…Is that really...?" Link asked, bewildered._

 _His words were cut short as the Hero suddenly collapsed, falling to the ground with a loud thud. The execution sword of the sages, once wielded by Ganondorf, impaled his chest and glowed menacingly. After looking around for the madman in the sunset-covered battlefield, Princesses Zelda and Midna saw no one. The Master Sword, its edges dull and powerless, lied on the ground where he was originally standing._

" _You need more power to defeat me," a dark voice said._

 _Ganondorf reappeared, standing over the dying Hero._

" _H-How…? How are you still alive?" Princess Zelda yelled, shocked._

" _The Master Sword should've killed you! It's the Blade of Evil's Bane!" Midna added, utterly enraged._

" _There are things that have been forgotten about that sword. Including how its power is produced and contained. But, enough of that," Ganondorf smirked, pulling the Sages' Sword out of Link's back._

 _The Evil King grabbed Link by his collar with his left hand and he could sense the Sacred Power within him resonating, trying to keep him from death. The man stabbed the Sages' Sword he held in his right hand into the dirt and glared at the boy._

 _"No, you will not! Darkness, rend the very soul of my enemy to shreds, 'Animi Fracti'!" he said._

 _The Evil One grabbed the still dying Hero and threw him right into the air. As Link sailed upwards, Ganondorf launched a magical orb of darkness at his being. The spell made contact, pulling the dying Hero into the darkness._

 _Ganondorf turned his gaze to Princesses Zelda and Midna and began to stride slowly towards them. The two princesses backed away, turned and started running when he reappeared in front of them._

 _In a desperate attempt to flee, Midna grabbed Princess Zelda and the two disappeared using Twili Magic. When the battlefield was empty, Ganondorf turned his attention to Hyrule Castle Town._

" _Well, they'll follow me like the helpless little lambs they are…since their princess abandoned them," he said, smirking._

 _He then turned to the Master Sword and saw the sword's appearance had changed. The hilt had changed from purple to azure and the blade's length was shortened. Small flickers of light came from it and tried to intensify as the Evil King walked closer to it._

 _Ganondorf took off his cape and carefully picked up the sword with it, not wanting to get injured. To his surprise, the flickering glows died. Not wanting to take any chances, the Evil King headed for the area's edge and looked down._

 _He could see the abyss and could hear running water. Looking at the sword that was Evil's Bane with pure contempt, Ganondorf tossed it, hoping to never see it again. After the sword was out of sight, he turned and yelled, "Darknut forces, to me!"_

 _Multiple dark flames appeared, taking the forms of very tall men, clad in armor of various hues. The Evil One then faced in the direction of Hyrule Castle Town to reconquer it._

* * *

 _Eight years ago, Snowpeak Mountains…_

" _Link? Link! I don't like this! We should go back home…"_

 _Seven-years-old and wide-eyed, the young Link of the Nodor clan looked with bright blue eyes at the steep and rocky side of one of Snowpeak's westernmost mountains. The frigid mountain winds whipped through his short, thin, blond hair. Heavy winter gear of a fur coat, hat, boots, thick pants and gloves covered his being and the young boy felt awfully warm._

 _His same-age companions, Karane and Pipit, shivered near violently, despite wearing nearly the exact same attire. The red-headed Karane turned to Pipit and yelled, "Why are we here again?"_

 _"We're here to 'esplore'," Link told her._

 _"Uh...what? Why? It's cold and I'm hungry!" Karane complained._

 _"Yeah! I wanna go home!" Pipit yelled._

 _Link shook his head and turned his attention back to the mountain. He could see a small marker at its snowy top and wanted to know what it was. Pipit and Karane wanted to return to the village as the trio had left without permission, originally wanting to play in the icy ravine._

" _I'll race you!" Link chirped._

 _He rushed forward with Pipit yelling, "Wait!"_

 _The boy started his ascent, taking care of the ice and hidden pits underneath the snow. Since he was in his very thick winter clothes, the sub-zero temperatures and frigid winds barely affected him. After climbing several feet, he turned to look down and saw that his friends weren't following._

" _Hey! C'mon! Get up here guys!" he called out._

" _I…I don't know about you guys! B-But I'm going home! It's too cold!" Karane yelled._

 _Link shook his head again, thinking she was being a wimp and kept climbing. Pipit looked on in worry, especially after Karane's departure._

" _Be careful, Link!" he shouted._

 _The young Link knew and didn't see what the big deal was. He continued, being careful to pull up on the rocks and not any ice, and quickly made it to the top. After pulling himself up, he looked down and saw how high he was._

 _He could see the massive southern ravine that was the border between Hyrule and Holodrum's mountain terrains. Due to the empire being at war with the Holodrumi, a massive wall with several connecting towers blocked most of the western border. The river of ice cut through the area, leading to a mostly frozen lake. Many spies from Holodrum were said to have fallen through the ice, never to be seen again._

 _The sight of the area never ceased to amaze the young child and he bade for Pipit to join him at the top. Pipit refused._

" _Aw…I thought you and Karane wanted to be 'esplorers'! You gotta be brave to be a 'esplorer'!" Link yelled._

 _Pipit looked around and whined, "I…I don't wanna fall and die!"_

" _Well, I didn't! C'mon!" Link yelled._

 _Pipit was terrified and Link sighed in disappointment. He turned to the nearby stone marker and walked towards it. The marker itself was a bit odd looking as there was an etching of an eye on it. The iris was hollow and the sound of a howling wind came from it. In its hollow was a small, green pendant, floating perfectly in it. Seeing that, the curious child decided put his hand in, wondering if he could take it out._

 _Moments passed and the boy was able to obtain the emerald charm. Just as he did, rumbling shook the usually stable mountain and Link looked around, trying to find the source. He saw that it came from the monument and decided to get out of the area quickly. The stone marker started to crack as the boy started to climb down. Seconds after he started his descent, the stone exploded in light._

 _Black rock shards were sent flying everywhere and one hit Link in the forehead. He was dazed and lost his grip, falling and tumbling, receiving many gashes and bruises. After being , Link hit a large boulder near the ground headfirst, blacking out instantly._

* * *

 _Year 1015, 7th month of Nabooru of the 6_ _th_ _Era of Water, mountain village…_

"And that is why the current age is called the 'Endless Frost'," Elder Sahasrahla of the Ulrira clan said, writing on a chalkboard.

The older man took a look around the classroom and saw many of his students, numbering 20, sleeping. Some had nodded off. Others had placed their heads on their desks. One of them put one of his books to make it look as if he was reading. Another snored loudly, being obnoxious.

Irritated, as he didn't like anyone sleeping during his lectures, Elder Sahasrahla put his nails onto the chalkboard and slid them down, causing for a high pitch sound to make everyone wake up screaming. Almost everyone.

"AAH! OW!" the class cried out in pain.

"Man, what was that for?" a lone Gerudo male yelled.

"That was for sleeping during my lecture, Groose. Now, as I was saying..." Elder Sahasrahla tried to resume.

He stopped his lecture again after hearing a snore. The class turned their attention to the only one still asleep, a student sleeping behind his books that he stacked on his desk. Elder Sahasrahla, even more irritated, walked towards him and took one of them. He slammed it onto the desk and the teen yelled, "Huh? W-Wha...? Who?"

"This is the fifth time you've been sleeping in class this week. Please stay awake during the lectures, Link," the elder told him.

The teen looked down in shame as the class had their eyes on him. Elder Sahasrahla, bring their attention back, went back to the chalkboard and asked the class, "And what started the current age?"

"Umm...Wasn't it the execution of the traitorous 'Kingslayer' by the First Hyrulian Emperor? Like he unleashed a freezing curse or something?" the teenaged Karane asked.

"No...Not quite. According to the Temples of Hylia and supported by facts from the Imperial Ministry of Natural Sciences, the endless frost started 100 years after the death of the first emperor, a natural occurrence known as climate change. When the frost first started, many thought it was a curse from the evil Kingslayer. Others believed it was from the lamentations from the water spirits, in protest of the newly established empire. All we know is that the landscape of the country changed."

"Many places in the northern areas of this country have been under permafrost, even places that usually never see snow, such as Death Mountain and most of the Lanayru Province. Zora's Domain was moved farther south, turning the former village of the Zoras into a series of ice caves. Death Mountain has been covered in snow all year, just like our section of Hyrule here in Snowpeak."

"And does anyone know what happened to the ecology of Hyrule proper since the frost started," Elder Sahasrahla asked everyone.

Link wanted to raise his hand, but he decided not to answer. He had very good reasons for not doing so and turned to Pipit, who sat in a desk to his left. The teen raised his hand and answered with, "Uh...Didn't the Zoras have to leave for the oceans?"

"Yes. The Zoras left Hyrule proper, leaving the Zora's Domain and River for warmer waters, such as the seas of Labrynna. Many birds and animals used to warmer climates headed south as well. The Gorons, due to being made of rock, have retreated farther underground in the Death Mountain region. The many human tribes of Hyrule adapted, but were content in staying in their ancestral lands."

"And can anyone tell me what happened to the Hyrulian socio-economic structure?" Elder Sahasrahla asked.

Another of Link's classmates, a girl named Fado, said, "Um...people started making more things related to weapons of war, such as arrowguns powered by Mystery Seeds, the flying ships and cannons. They also created the things that keep our homes and citadels lit and warm, the furnaces and gas lamps."

"And what?" Elder Sahasrahla asked.

"And...um...poverty in the nation lessened as people moved from villages to the cities of Kakariko and the capital for better employment...but..." another student replied.

"But there are many who still haven't passed the poverty line. His Imperial Majesty plans to change that, make things easier for those who live in the slums of the cities..." Elder Sahasrahla added.

The town chapel's bell rung and the class was dismissed. As Link started grabbing his books, Elder Sahasrahla approached him. He seemed worried and asked the teen, "Are you alright?"

Link nodded and Elder Sahasrahla said, "You can speak. It's alright. All that would make fun of you are absent."

Link really didn't want to, but the elder insisted that he should. For therapy purposes, he would always say. With heavy stuttering, Link said, "I-I...w-wa-was...t-t-tired."

"But you can't sleep in class. I know that things haven't been the same since the accident, but I do expect you to pay attention and to answer questions. One word answers will do," Elder Sahasrahla told him.

Link nodded and suddenly felt dizzy. His vision faded and returned moments later. He was then given a stern look by the elder.

"And its effects on his psyche still persist..." he muttered to himself, sounding very angry.

Link hadn't a clue what happened but was told to go home. He headed out into the halls and was stopped by Pipit and Karane. The two asked him if he was fine and Link nodded.

"Man, you've been sleeping more often recently...Are you sure you're okay?" Pipit asked.

Link nodded again.

Karane sighed and said, "You know we're your friends, right? We won't make fun of you over your stutter."

Link smiled and was about to speak when the trio heard, "Oy! Pipit!"

The only one of Gerudo descent at the school and in town, Groose of the Eldirani clan, rushed to the three and noticed Link. He frowned up at Link and asked, "What's up with all the sleepin'? Didn't get enough sleep last night?"

Link shrugged and that irked Groose.

"Okay, you know I'm your friend too, right? So, say somethin'. You know Elder Aginah said you gotta practice speakin' again," the redhead said, growing frustrated.

Link still rather not say anything, as other students were nearby. He turned, leaving the somewhat frustrated trio.

* * *

 _"What happened?" Link's mother, Lydia, asked Pipit._

 _After Link's fall, Pipit had rushed back to the village and cried out for help. A team of villagers, that included Link's parents, headed for the ravine. Once they arrived, Link's father, Sigmund, grabbed the unconscious child and headed back, taking him to the local hospital._

 _Pipit was questioned in the hospital's second floor waiting room and he told them everything he knew. He told Lydia that he tried to stop Link from climbing the mountainside, but he didn't listen. Pipit also told her of a bright light coming from the top and Link's tumbling down moments later. The small boy, worried for his friend, tried to keep himself composed, but..._

 _"It's alright...You're not to blame. But...why would he...?" Lydia said._

 _"I don't know. Me and Karane told him that it was a bad idea to climb it and it was too cold and..." Pipit said, giving in and crying._

 _The conversation was cut short as Sigmund entered the room. His face was that of a sad one and he told them, "The doctors say that Link will live...but..."_

 _"But what?" Lydia asked._

 _"He's suffered near irreparable brain damage. They don't know its effects, but they told us to prepare for the worse," Sigmund said._

* * *

"So you're still not comfortable speaking to others?"

Link looked up from his sitting position on a small couch, seeing the elder Aginah. Aginah, Sahasrahla's twin brother and one of the twelve elders of the fortified village of Aboda. He, under his doctor and mother's orders, was required to visit the elder as he served as a psychiatrist/speech therapist for him. The elder would ask many questions, trying to coax the teen Hylian to speak, but Link refused most of the time.

"I know you're listening, Link. You can speak. It's safe here," Elder Aginah told him.

Link turned away from the elder, looking around the room. He was in the central room of the small home of two bedrooms, one for Aginah and the other for his wife Umma, one bath, a small kitchen and the front-most meeting room. The decor was sparse as many things weren't available due to fashion-conscious areas, such as the capital, had a hard time sending things to smaller villages like Aboda. Bookshelves filled with tomes of unintelligible languages lined the walls and the few bits of furniture was the small couch Link sat on, a small wood table with a few cups on it and the rocking chair Elder Aginah sat in.

"Well, I guess we can speak on the reoccurring nightmares and drastic changes in your personality," Elder Aginah said, pulling out a book and pen.

Lady Umma entered, holding a tea kettle. She poured the piping hot contents into the cups and said to Link, "Please. My husband is trying to help. If you speak, especially about what your mother told us, it can help with both the stuttering and your memory loss."

"And the mental breaks he has suffered, causing those nightmares and drastic and near dangerous personality shifts," Elder Aginah told her.

"And that too," Lady Umma said.

Link felt a massive headache and gripped his head in pain. His vision suddenly dimmed and his conscious faded. Moments later, he opened his eyes to see Lady Umma with her jaw dropped in shock and Elder Aginah glaring.

"Um...W-W-What h-happened? Di-Did...Did I s-s-say s-s-something bad?" Link asked, finally saying speaking.

"You...You said that..." Lady Umma started.

"I do not think that we should repeat what he said...as it was not him that spoke those words," Elder Aginah told her, glaring at Link.

The elder changed the subject, wanting to work on Link's speech therapy. Lady Umma gave him a local newspaper and Link was to read it aloud as best as he could without a single stutter. The teen hated the exercises as he felt that he wasn't getting better. The older couple would constantly assure him that he was, always saying that he was much better than when he first woke up from his coma.

Link remembered that day. He didn't know his name, he hadn't a clue how old he was nor could he remember who the people around him were. His mother, Dame Lydia, nearly cried and his father, Sir Sigmund Nodor, seemed ashamed. When they were allowed to take him home, his younger sisters by two years, twins named Agitha and Aryll, were horrified to find out that their brother couldn't remember them. His friends, Karane, Pipit and Groose, had to adjust to his refusal to speak and his trying to relearn many things.

Everyone, including himself, had to adjust to the constant migraine and his blacking out. After waking up from those blackouts, Link would always see his friends and family with horrified, offended or shocked looks on their faces. They wouldn't tell him why, but he knew that it was always something terrible he may have said or done.

"Well, tomorrow's another day..." Elder Aginah told Link, who felt defeated.

The young Hylian left the elder's home, heading to his own dwelling in the snow. He took a look around the village and many of the villagers paid no attention to him. They went about their business, working at local shops, gathering wood for the night and returning to their homes.

The village of Aboda with its population of 400 was a fortified one as it was encircled by a stone wall. The village was segregated into three districts. The first was the marketplace in the south, where a few merchant stalls, shops, a small hospital and an inn were located. The district was closest to the town's gate and included a series of horse stalls for the villagers, travelers and their caravans that were brave enough to venture into the mountains. Cobblestone streets crisscrossed the town, giving the town a slightly respectable look to outsiders.

The second was the residential district in the northeast. Many of the villagers made their snow-covered homes there, including Link's family. The stone dwellings were quite small, usually having only four to five rooms. Families up to seven people would cram into the homes, hardly ever complaining as the alternative was sleeping out in the cold.

The last of the districts was in the west and had the chapel dedicated to the spirits of the mountains and the town's school. The chapel itself was rather large and in the famed "Hylia" style, similar to that of the ancient Temple of Time, with the school connected to it. The ones who frequented the chapel were the clergy assigned to it and the twelve elders.

The village's income was dependent on the mining of metals and the harvesting of a variety of mystical seeds called Ember Seeds and ice blocks from the ice caves. Many of the adults worked for those industries, with a few being in business for themselves. Others, like Dame Lydia, were soldiers and helped in the defense of the mountainous village and their working neighbors, receiving occasional help from the fortress near the border.

The elderly served as teachers and kept the youths of town in line while their parents were away in the mountains. They also served as medics, a few working at the village's hospital. They tended to the wayward travelers headed for the fortress, but their clientele was mainly the townspeople.

The youths were expected to go to school, lest they were to be flogged and scolded by the elders. Some were occasionally allowed to joined the adults in work, but they had to prove they were mature enough through their schoolwork and everyday behavior.

Link stood watch at the town's gate, seeing the caravans full of exhausted townsfolk returning from work. They left, one by one, heading for home. The sturdy horses, used to the cold conditions, were also tired and was led to the stalls.

Not seeing anything else interesting, Link turned for home, only to run into the local bully and headache for everyone, Mido, and his entourage. The green-clad teen hobbled towards him, along with his sister Fado and three others.

"Hey, 'Mr. I-Can't-Speak'!" Mido yelled.

Link regretted staying in the area longer that he should've. The five surrounded him and began chiding him. Mido and Fado, Mido's twin sister, made many jokes and called him names such as "Mute Boy", "No-Speak-Da-Hylian-Boy" and "Link the Dumb", using the word's old definition in making fun of his muteness.

Mido pushed Link and said, "C'mon, say something!"

Fado laughed and chided him, saying, "Are you going to st-st-stutter again?"

Link frowned up, not wanting to show weakness. Another of the twins' flunkies pushed the silent teen onto the ground and began laughing. As they kept up the bullying, a small crowd of students gathered and joined in.

"OY!"

The five stopped their chiding and turned to see Link's sisters, the twins Aryll and Agitha. They pushed through and helped their brother up.

"Why are you making fun of Link again, Mido?" Aryll asked.

Mido huffed and said, "Because we can."

"And you know you'll get beat up by Groose and Pipit when we tell. And after the pummeling you received the last time, it would be a shame if you had another now," Agitha told him.

Fado,the reasonable one, said, "Okay. Okay. Don't tell them. We had our fun. We'll go. But it doesn't change the fact that your brother's cursed."

She pulled her brother away from the area, with Mido loudly protesting. Their friends followed them and the crowd dispersed. The siblings headed for home, where the twins questioned his progress with Elder Aginah.

"Hey, how did it go?" Aryll asked.

"Did you speak with Elder Aginah?" Agitha asked.

"Did you practice speaking?" Aryll questioned.

"Or did you say something...off again?" Agitha asked, staring at her brother.

'Say something...off...again? What does she mean by that?' Link thought.

He was a bit overwhelmed with the questions, but hadn't a clue what Agitha meant. Aryll shushed her and Link knew that they were trying to hide something from him, albeit horribly. She pulled Agitha farther into the home and Link sat on the front room's couch.

The home of the Nodor family was among the few larger houses in the region with four bedrooms, two baths, a kitchen, dining room and the front room. Due to their mother's occupation as a knight in service to the empire, the family received a nice pension. That allowed for them to have nicer things and decor, mostly from the capital. That also was a source of jealously among several of the villagers towards the family. But none, with the exception of Mido, Fado and their flunkies, confronted the Nodor's about it.

"Ah, you're home," a blond-haired woman, wearing blue clothing and silver armor overlay, said with a smile.

She hugged him and scanned him with her emerald eyes. Link smiled and said, "H-hi, M-M-Mom."

His mother, Dame Lydia, smiled and asked him, "Did it go well?"

"Um..." Link started.

"I think he left early, Mom!" Aryll yelled from Agitha and her's room.

Lydia turned to Link and asked, "Did you?"

"H-He...t-t-t-told me th-that I-I w-was s-s-su-supposed to go. H-He...was m-mad at m-me for s-s-s-some r-reason," Link told her, quickly getting frustrated as most of what he said came out in near uncontrollable stutters.

His mother listened patiently as he recited more of his tale. He told her how he tried to practice, only to get frustrated. Link also told her of how the twins Mido and Fado, along with their followers had did their usual of making fun of him. After he was finished, Lydia said to him, "Just...don't pay any attention to them. People aren't used to others who are...different. Just keep up with the therapy sessions and be yourself."

Link didn't get why he had to take the sessions. He was content with not talking for the rest of his life. He also didn't see why he needed to remember what happened before the accident. Link remembered his mother, sisters, friends and his deceased father after several months, but he had to relearn many things about the village and his own life. That, including the horrific stutter he gained after emerging from his coma, caused for many in the village to distance themselves from him, as if he was a bad omen or cursed.

The elders agreed to help him, but every time they did, Link would blackout and wake up moments later with them looking offended. He would ask what happened, but they would refuse to say anything about it.

"Well, if you're hungry, Granny's made some goat stew. I have to go and make a few rounds outside of town. I'll be back early tomorrow morning," Lydia said.

With that, she left.

* * *

 _"So, Big Brother don't remember us?" the five-year-old Aryll asked Lydia._

 _Sigmund and she sighed and nodded. They had hoped to ease the girls into the new knowledge of their big brother's amnesia. But the elders told them that they hadn't a choice._

 _Link's friends, which included Pipit, Karane and the new arrival to the village, Groose, were also in attendance. They were genuinely sad, as their friend couldn't remember them. The trio told the family that they had no intention in not being Link's friends anymore, much to Lydia's relief. She believed that if they had done that, Link would never recover._

 _The last in attendance was the elders and included Sigmund's mother, Elder Matilde Calais-Nodor. The Labrynnan-borne elderly woman was speaking with the others on Link's condition and they saw it as a bad omen. When Lydia asked why, they were being quite secretive and refused to say why._

 _"Yes, Aryll. He doesn't remember us, where he is or even his own name. So, when you see him, don't get mad or anything," Sigmund told the girls._

 _"We won't get mad. I'm just sad," Aryll said._

" _Well, I'm mad! Why did Link go all the way out there? We can't because we're little, but he did! And he got hurt really bad because he did! He's so stupid!" Agitha said, glowering._

 _The doctor that treated Link allowed them to see him. She left them with a warning, saying, "Please don't do anything that will cause further mental trauma. So that means, do not bombard him with questions or try to make him remember too quickly."_

 _They vowed to heed her, but had the intention to help Link remember as quickly as they could. The group entered the room within the small, 40 room hospital and saw Link. Bandages covered his head, arms and exposed torso. The fall bruised his ribs, cut up his arms and legs and nearly cracked his skull open. The greatest damage was to his brain, despite his head wound healing._

 _The boy was awake, after being in comatose for a week. He had a lost expression on his face and looked around as if everything was brand new. Lydia took a seat next to him and he panicked._

 _"W-W-W-Who are you?" he asked._

 _With great fear in his big, blue eyes, he looked at the others that entered and started inching off the bed. That broke Lydia's heart and she started to cry. Aryll and Agitha tried not to and Sigmund reintroduced himself and the others to Link._

 _"A 'f-f-father'? A 'm-m-mother'? Wh-What...i-is...?" Link asked._

 _"We'll answer those questions when the time comes. Until then, just get better," Lydia told him._

 _Link turned his attention to Groose and started glaring. Angry, he yelled, "Y-You! Gerudo! G-Go away! Get away!"_

 _Groose was hurt and ran out of the room, terrified as Link had started tossing anything he could at him. Pipit and Karane followed him out as Link had started attacking everyone with a flurry of tossed items, punches, kicks and...faint traces of magic._

 _The elders tried to use some of their own to calm the boy, but he unleashed a shockwave from his being that launched everyone back. Some of them, like Aryll and Agitha, were pushed out of the room as they ran out. The others, like Lydia and Sigmund, hit the room's walls._

 _Dazed, Lydia shook her head and saw a light coming from her son's left hand. His eyes started to turn a golden color and he grabbed his head in pain. Lydia could feel a buildup of magic and those that remained rushed out of the room as quickly as they could. The nurses on the hospital's top floor, many of them being magic users, summoned barriers to guard the other patients' rooms. Link's pained screams were heard and the room exploded, sending wooden shards and bricks flying everywhere._

 _What surprised everyone was that Link was unharmed. He seemed even more confused as he stood in the ruined room. Terrified, he rushed to Lydia's arms and embraced her._

 _All the woman could say was, "Don't worry. You're safe. You'll be safe with us."_

* * *

Link entered his room and collapsed onto the bed. He was quite tired and, after eating his Grandmother Matilde's stew, wanted to go to sleep.

His room, the smallest room in the house, was modest. It had the usual furniture of a bed, desk and a small oil lamp that lit his room. Windows covered in thick curtains were at the north and east walls, since his room was at the back of the house. A small wardrobe held his clothes of green and coats. Six pairs of thick brown boots were at the wardrobes left and his book bag was at its right, near the door.

Wallpaper of horses covered the wood walls and they were faded. His school books were strewn about the area and some of his dirty laundry were in the corners. He noticed and thought to clean soon. But since he was so tired, he wasn't motivated to do anything.

Just as he started to close his eyes, he remembered that he had to write an entry in his journal. Link saw the book lying on the desk and he really didn't feel like moving. Groaning, the teen got up, headed for the desk, grabbed the book and returned to his bed. He found a pen, opened the journal and gasped as he saw that there was an entry for the day already in it.

'I...I don't remember writing anything today. So...?' Link thought.

The handwriting looked like...his, but something was off. The way the script was shaped didn't look like the modern Hylian language used in the empire. The writing also looked as if it was written in anger and high aggression. And what was written, Link thought he would never say or write such things.

The entry was, "'I don't like it here. It's too cold, too much snow and nothing to do. And those twins...who are they? They look familiar, but...I don't know who they are and they're very, VERY annoying. But I got a feeling that if I leave, they'll fall to pieces...'"

Link paled and started checking the other entries. Yesterday's entry was different, with similar calligraphy to his, but the entry had a much nicer tone and seemed as if it was written in a relaxed state.

What was written was, "'I kinda like it here. The food's good, but it's kinda cold. I'm still not used to it even after eight years. Aryll and Agitha seem okay, with Aryll being very nice and optimistic and Agitha being very logical and a killjoy most of the time. But I really don't like that they keep calling me 'Link'. That's not my name. I really want to tell them that, but I got a feeling something bad will happen if I do.'"

'Wha...? What is this?' Link thought.

He flipped more pages of the journal and found one that was written six months ago. The writing style was the same as the others, similar to his but the words used were quite formal.

Link read, "'I've been researching that pendant that the boy carries around his neck. Based on what I've found, it's a special pendant that is said to be connected to the lost Spiritual Stones held by the differing tribes of Old Hyrule. The emerald stone apparently was cut from the Koriki Emerald thousands of years ago. Why? Well, I would probably find out faster if not for the blackouts. But I can't say much of anything, can I?'"

The teen started trembling, scared to read any further. Against his better judgment, he turned to the very beginning of the journal, whose first entry was written by him three years ago. He sighed in relief as he remembered writing about how he was getting frustrated with the lack of memories and his difficulty speaking.

When he turned the page, he saw that the entry was very different. It looked like he had fallen asleep while writing and the next entry was on wondering why he had blonde hair. The writings were the same as the other odd ones, written as if the person was...timid.

"'Uh...I thought it'd be a good idea to write this down. I don't know what's going on. Um...why is my hair blonde and my eyes blue? Why do those girls look the same? They look like...no. I don't know what's going on...I'm...scared...I could run, but I need rupees to do it,'" Link read.

Terrified as he hadn't a clue what was going on, Link threw the book towards his door, where it hit it and landed on the floor. He trembled and cowered, not knowing what else to do.

* * *

 _Okay, here's the first chapter of the story. It was originally called Chronicles of the Sword, but I thought that the title made no sense. So, here's the new and improved story._

 _-miano53_


	2. Chapter 2: A Shattered Mind

_Thanks to Batch 03 and zelda reborn for their favoriting and following this story. I'm not that good when it comes to making up titles and summaries, but please give this fic a read. And a review would be nice._

 _Also, this fic will be similar to its original draft of Chronicles of the Sword. Link will have memory loss, personalities fighting each other for control and his refusal in accepting the life of the Hero._

 _Lastly,_ _ **I own nothing.**_

 _-miano53_

* * *

 _"If a person who has an evil heart gets the Triforce, a Hero is destined to appear...and he alone must face the person who began the Great Cataclysm."_

 _-a descendant of the Seven Sages_

Chapter Two: A Shattered Mind

" _What in the name of…?" the Zora Prince, Ralis, said._

 _His entourage of loyal Zoras stared at an odd scene in a dark and rainy Northern Hyrule Field. Originally headed for Hyrule Castle Town to pledge their "loyalty" to the "Demon King", Ganondorf Dragmire, the Zoras spotted a young man in tattered, green clothing stumbled around near the eastern road leading to the Eldin Province. What scared the group of Zoras was the massive chest wound he had and the evil aura radiating from him._

 _Prince Ralis, using a binocular device called a Hawkeye, looked at the man more carefully and gasped. The man was none other than…Link. The Zora was sure it was him, but was very confused as he was presumed dead for over a year._

 _Link spotted him and stumbled towards him. The Zoras, suspicious, surrounded their prince and Prince Ralis asked, "W-What are you doing? It's Link."_

" _Sir, that's not him! Look at the glowing spot on his chest and how pale he is! He looks like Death!" one of his guards told him._

 _Prince Ralis looked at Link again and saw a glowing black and red crystal in the massive chest wound he had. The young man's skin was deathly pale and unhealed wounds covered his body. Markings, Twili in appearance, were on his neck, on his jawline and on the exposed parts of his arms. Link turned to face them and Prince Ralis shuddered as his eyes were a piercing red, reminiscent of a monster's._

 _The Zora prince began to back away, along with his entourage, frightened. The young man caught up with them and Prince Ralis gave a weak smile. His smile was also frightening as his teeth were sharp like a predator's._

" _P-Prince...R-Ralis?" the young man asked in a weak voice._

" _L-Link?! Is…Is that really you?" Prince Ralis asked._

 _Link had a lost expression on his face and the prince knew something was very wrong. The Zoras aimed their spears at him to defend their prince and the young man gripped his head. Link then fell to the ground and cried out in pain, scaring Prince Ralis. His face contorted to that of an undead monster and stared at the royal with hatred in his red eyes. The Zora guards charged at him and attacked to protect their prince. The monster attacked, belching powerful fire magic from its mouth, burning some of them to ashes._

 _Prince Ralis headed for the river as his guards were being massacred by who he thought was his friend. He jumped in, swimming upstream back to Zora's Domain. As he did, the Zora prince heard a horrifying, monstrous shriek coming from behind along with the horrified screams of his brethren._

* * *

" _I'm telling you! Link's still alive!" Prince Ralis yelled._

 _He spoke to the deposed Hyrulian royal, Zelda Hyrule XVI. The Zora prince met with her in a hidden alcove in Lanayru Province, overlooking the Great Bridge of Hylia. She was joined by the remaining loyal Hyrulian Knights and Telma's resistance group originally stationed in her bar at Hyrule Castle Town. Princess Midna and her loyal Twili following, able to exist outside of the Twilight Realm due to the darkness becoming stagnant in the world of light, sat next to the Hyrulian Knights and was skeptical._

" _Link's dead. We saw him get stabbed in the chest with the Sages' Sword and torn asunder with a powerful spell of darkness. There's no way he could've survived that," Princess Midna spat._

" _But!" Prince Ralis said._

" _The Hero Chosen by the Gods died during the battle. There's no way for him to return as he had nothing to revive hi…" Zelda started._

" _But he had this glowing dark crystal in his chest and he was alive!" Prince Ralis told her, interrupting._

" _Dark cry…Oh no…" Princess Midna muttered._

 _The group looked at her and she said, "That's…the embodiment of the dark curse that Zant casted on him. It…That crystal…It shouldn't have, but it seems that it managed to revive his body, but the Link we know is gone."_

" _Then why did he respond to me in a friendly manner when he saw me?" Prince Ralis asked._

" _That crystal may have copied all of Link's memories after we decided to keep it. I kept it in his shadow and it allowed him to turn into a wolf at will, but…it had other side effects too…just like the Fused Shadows we collected. I didn't tell him…I really should've…" Princess Midna explained._

" _What…side effects, hon?" the Gerudo "half-breed" bartender, Telma, asked._

" _He would become more aggressive than usual and had a somewhat feral look in his eyes when he fought enemies afterwards. But since he had the Master Sword, those effects were curbed…most of the time," Princess Midna explained._

 _Prince Ralis hadn't a clue what to say, not knowing that the Hero had dealt with that._

' _So…Link really is…?' Prince Ralis thought._

" _Yes. He died. I felt his life force leave his body when the Dark King sent him into the darkness. Now it's been replaced by dark power, turning his body into an abomination," Zelda told him._

 _The group fell silent._

" _Are we going to fight back? We have to save the world in his place! He would've wanted that, I'm sure of it," Rusl asked._

" _No. Not yet. We must gain allies from all the races of Hyrule…including the Gerudo," Zelda told him._

 _The Hyrulian soldiers were all confused and Zelda told them that a few Gerudo stayed in Hyrule after Ganondorf's botched execution 300 years ago, giving explanation how "halflings" like Telma came to be. Many more left the country, terrified of what the Hylians would do after the imprisonment of their leader._

 _Prince Ralis kept silent, still in shock that the Hero was truly dead._

" _So what are we going to do when we see him?" Prince Ralis asked Princess Midna._

 _Princess Midna, unable to take the title of queen of the Twili due to Ganondorf dissolving the Twili monarchy, sighed and shrugged. She replied to his question with, "I guess I'll just have to get close enough to the monster to rip out the shadow crystal from its chest."_

" _So, what'll happen if it doesn't work and he attacks?" the knight, Ashei, asked._

" _Then we have to run. The wraith's too powerful as it knows everything Link used to and, according to Ralis here, then some," Princess Midna told her._

"' _And then some'?" Auru asked._

" _He knows powerful magic. I mean…REALLY powerful magic. He belched out flames from his mouth like a dragon! I've never seen a human able to use magic in that manner," Prince Ralis replied._

" _So, should we keep our magic at the ready?" Shad asked._

 _The Twili nodded and Rusl said, "No matter what we thought of Link…We have to remember that he's dead and that…thing is masquerading around as him. So, do not hold back if it attacks."_

" _But if he's too strong, we must flee," Auru added._

 _The group agreed to and headed for the darkened lantern cavern at Lake Hylia. Apparently, the wraith was hiding out in the old mine and was attacking passerby. They could feel darkness and evil spilling forth from the entrance and Princess Midna knew it came from the shadow crystal._

* * *

 _Three years ago..._

 _"Link? Link, are you okay?" the ten-year-old Aryll asked, entering Link's room one day._

 _She saw the 13-year-old sitting at his desk, writing something in his journal. She remembered that her mother had told him to start writing his thoughts in it and hoped that it would help regain his memories. As she started to approach him, Link turned to her and rudely said, "What do you want, kid?"_

 _Aryll was taken aback and noticed that he didn't stutter. He had an annoyed look on his face and Aryll stammered, "Uh...Um...Well..."_

 _"Spit it out already," Link said, still being very rude._

 _"W-Who are you? What happened to the kind brother I have?" Aryll asked._

 _Link scoffed and told her, "How should I know? I'm not him."_

 _"Then who are you?" Aryll asked in disbelief._

 _Link turned from her and was about to answer when Lydia showed up. She looked at the two and asked, "Everything okay in here?"_

 _"Um...y-yes," Aryll told her._

 _The woman was unconvinced, but said nothing further on the matter. She left and Aryll told Link, "I don't know what's going on, but you have to snap out of it...I'm your sister...We're family."_

"' _Family'?" the drastically changed Link asked._

" _Yeah. I'm your sister, Aryll, remember? And you're my big brother, Link," Aryll told him._

 _Link glared at her and roared, "That's not my name! Stop calling me that, you idiot!"_

 _He then said several things in what sounded like gibberish and stood to his feet. Aryll was scared and quickly ran out of the room. She ran into Agitha, who was joined by their mother._

" _What's going on? Who's yelling?" Agitha asked._

 _Aryll told the two about how Link started yelling at her about her calling him by his name. She then said how he started speaking in gibberish. The sound of something being thrown at a wall was heard and Lydia told the girls, "Go and find your grandmother. I'll see what's going on."_

* * *

 _3_ _Nabooru 1015, 6_ _th_ _Era of Water, noon..._

"Alright, so the twelve months, starting with the first month of Seres. What are the others?" Granny Matilde said, teaching Aryll and Agitha's class of 20 students.

Aryll, worried for her brother, kept staring at the classroom door. Agitha, the scholar, noticed her absentmindedness and quickly answered with, "The season of winter...or what was supposed to be the season of winter, includes the first month of Seres, the second month of Oren and the third month of Rutela. The season of spring includes the fourth month of Laruto, the fifth month of Saria and the sixth month of Gulley."

"Summer has the seventh month of Nabooru, the eigth month of Rauru and the ninth month of Darmani. Lastly, Autumn includes the tenth month of Fado, the eleventh month of Irene and the final month of Impaz."

Granny Matilde nodded in approval and asked, "And can anyone tell me why the months are named in that manner?"

Another student raised their hand and replied with, "Aren't they named after the ancient sages?"

"Yes. They are named after the sages of the elements that govern our world. And can anyone tell me what the elements are?" Granny Matilde asked the class.

A third raised their hand and asked her, "Why are we reviewing all this? We learned this last year."

"Because of the national exam. It is expected for you to know the basics," Granny Matilde told him.

Aryll raised her hand and answered the original question with, "The eight elements are Forest, Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Spirit, Shadow and Light. The sages are masters of the elemental magics and they taught Chosen Ones and others how to use it...right?"

"Yes. And the elements also determine which era we're in. The current age is the 6th Era of Water, also called the 'Age of Endless Frost'. Since ice is another form of water, it was natural that people called this age an age of water."

"The other eras such as the first Era of Wind was also called the Sky Era, where many humans lived on the sky continents that float above the Great Sea. Now the wind tribe, also called the 'Rito', live there," Granny Matilde explained

A third student raised their hand and asked, "Aren't they the people who fly on those giant birds?"

"'Loftwings'? Yes, though many believed the species to be lost for many millennia. When the empire began making use of airships, the birds were rediscovered, living with the wind-magic wielding tribe above the clouds, in a place simply called the City in the Sky," Granny Matilde replied.

Aryll remembered her grandmother's many tales of the different eras. She also remembered that whenever the eras change, a great warrior was supposed to appear. She wondered if one would appear soon, since she heard what the elders had said about how the current era was an "evil age". She didn't know much about it beyond the stories, most of them blaming the Kingslayer for the Ice Age.

"Aryll? Aryll!" Granny Matilde yelled.

"Oh...Uh...What?" she asked.

"And what was the next era after the 'Sky Era'?" Granny Matilde asked.

"The 2nd Era of Earth...?" Aryll asked.

"And what is the common name?" Granny Matilde asked.

"Uh...Um...Uh...I-I don't know!" Aryll yelled, becoming flustered.

"The 'Force Era'! Seriously, Aryll, pay attention!" Agitha told her.

Some of her classmates giggled since the young teen didn't answer the question. Embarrassed, Aryll sunk into her seat, hoping that the others would stop staring at her.

* * *

 _With trepidation, the group entered the dark cavern. As they carefully treaded in the cave using the light from the lanterns, she noticed that markings were on the walls. The markings vaguely looked like words, but the Twili couldn't make it out._

 _Once in a circular chamber deemed safe by Rusl, Princess Midna grabbed a lantern and saw the words were "sword", "mine", and "mission". She figured that the crystal was trying to force the deceased Hero's body to remember what happened before._

 _The sound of metal scrapping was heard and the group readied themselves for what could've been their final fight. The Twili silently prayed to the gods of the Twilight Realm to help her._

" _Um…What is with all this…scribbling?" Prince Ralis asked._

 _Princess Midna, knowing what it was, said nothing to him. Rusl of Ordon, however, read the Hylian writings aloud._

"' _Sword…Mine…Mission'…Hmm, I believe it wants to use Link's body…to complete what he could not," Rusl said._

 _As the group of the Hyrulian Resistance, Princess Midna, Prince Ralis and his entourage of five Zora guards traversed farther into the cavern, the writings on the walls increased. Shad noted that some weren't in languages familiar to him. Princess Midna stopped when they arrived in a chamber with two lit torches and an empty chest. A portal with a bright light coming from it was on the far side of the underground room and she said, "Okay, if things get too tough, head for the nearest portal and get out of here."_

 _She gasped as more writings, this time in the Twili dialect, were found on the ground. The Twilight Princess read it as "sword", "Ganon", "hate" and "back." Another series of writings was quite peculiar. It was in the dialect of Hylian used during the Era of the 3_ _rd_ _Hyrulian Civil War, nearly 3,000 years ago._

 _Shad translated and said, "Hmm…It says 'Must find her'…'Need my sword back'. It seems that the Shadow Crystal managed to control his body well enough to write coherent sentence fragments."_

" _And this is helpful, how?" Ashei asked._

" _It's not. It means that the wraith will be a difficult foe to defeat," Shad told her._

 _Prince Ralis wasn't too happy with the news._

" _Um…I know showing cowardice isn't a way a king should act, but…" he said._

" _You haven't had your coronation yet, Your Highness," a Zora guard told his charge._

 _The Zora prince trembled slight with fear and Princess Midna sympathized with him. The sound of metal scrapping on the ground was heard, silencing everyone._

" _Okay…Ready yourselves, people. If we die, we die protecting what's left of Hyrule," Rusl said._

* * *

 _Later..._

"Uh...has anyone seen Mido and Fado?" one of Mido's friends asked the twins.

The girls sat outside in the school's enclosed courtyard with a few of their other schoolmates and were waiting for Link, Pipit, Groose and Karane. Said friend of Mido's was a short teen named Cawlin. Cawlin was a giant jerk to many, as he had what Dame Lydia called a major "Inferiority Complex". He had a major crush on Mido's sister, Fado, and hung around the bully twins in hope that he could date her.

Aryll and Agitha didn't like the guy, as he would constantly bully Link over his stutter and muteness. Usually Groose and Pipit would stop him, threatening to beat him up. But since they were nowhere to be found, the girls had to deal.

"No. Why?" Agitha asked, annoyed at the teen's presence.

"We were supposed to meet up to head home. Where are they?" Cawlin said.

"Well, we don't know. Go talk to Stritch or something," Agitha told him.

Cawlin left, muttering several choice words about the twins under his breath. Moments later, Karane came rushing towards them and asked, "Uh...Either of you seen Mido or Fado?"

"Cawlin was just here asking about that," Aryll told her.

Karane was worried and Aryll didn't see why.

"Hmm...And Link's gone too. I would think he's in the library doing homework. But I won't be surprised if the twins found him and locked him in a closet somewhere..." Karane said.

"KARANE!"

The trio saw Groose rushing towards them. He was quickly followed by Pipit and the two were flustered.

"Okay! Okay-okay-okay!" Groose said in a panic.

"Please breathe before you pass out, Groose," Agitha sighed.

Pipit told the girls that they had found Link after Cawlin, Stritch and the rest of Mido and Fado's flunkies started their search on the bully twins. They found him in the library, eerily calm. They tried calling his name, but he didn't respond. After five times, they rushed to find the Nodor twins.

"Yeah! He didn't respond when Pipit called him!" Groose yelled.

Scared for Link, the group headed for the school's library. There, they found him, doing homework. Aryll thought it was odd as Agitha and she never saw him get started early on work.

The teen was surrounded by stacks of books and didn't acknowledge their presence. Even after Aryll called out to him, the teen didn't respond. He kept writing, apparently oblivious to them.

"Link? Link? LINK!" Aryll yelled.

Link stopped writing and nearly slammed his pen down onto the paper he wrote on. He turned around and, without a single stutter, asked, "This is a library. Why are you yelling?"

His demeanor was different. He seemed...standoffish, much different than Link's "normal" self. Link looked at the five and Aryll could tell that he didn't recognize them. It was like that time before, three years ago.

"Link, have you seen Mido and Fado?" Pipit asked.

"'Link'? That's not my name," Link told him.

The five were shocked and Groose asked, "Uh...That is your name, right? Link. That's the name we've been callin' ya all these years."

"What...? Oh, I see. I'm 'awake' again," Link murmured.

"Link, you're scaring me. Why are you talking like that?" Aryll said.

Remembering why they were looking for Link, Agitha asked him, "Never mind that. Have you seen Mido and Fado?"

"'Mido and...Fado'?" Link asked.

"C'mon. You know them! Y'know. The ones that annoy the heck outta everyone and makes fun of you all the time 'cause of that stutter!" Groose said.

Link thought about it and asked, "Are they the children who tried to put me into a closet that contained a mop and bucket?"

"'Stuff you into...'? Oh no. Did you...?" Karane asked him.

Link stood up, gathered his things and said, "I just turn the tables on them. The boy I threw into that closet while the girl ran off."

The group turned to each other in shock. Aryll, scared, asked, "Uh...Which closet...?"

Link, after putting his things in his book bag, asked, "The one nearest here. Why? Why help someone that wishes to harm you?"

"Because...the Link we know now wouldn't do anything like that. He's more of a coward," Agitha told him.

Aryll turned to her, glaring, and Link shrugged, not seeming to care. He left the library, with Pipit and Karane leaving soon after, mainly to free Mido from his predicament. Groose turned to the twins and asked, "Uh...What _was_ that?"

"It happened again. We have to tell Elder Aginah about this," Aryll said.

"About what?" Groose yelled.

The twins ignored him, heading for the elder's home. Groose followed, not sure what was going on.

* * *

 _That night..._

After speaking with Elder Aginah and telling him about the sudden shift in Link's personality that day, the elder became worried. They also told him of how he told them that his name wasn't Link, but didn't provide an alternative. Elder Aginah listened intently and told the girls that the others elders and he were going to speak on the matter later. In the meantime, they were to go home and not tell their mother. The reason why was that the woman was a worrywart and the elder didn't want her to have worry cloud her judgment during her patrols.

At the dinner table, the twins noticed Link's silence. He didn't make eye contact with anyone and kept staring at the bowl of goat stew in front of him. Granny Matilde noticed and asked, "Are you alright, child?"

Link paid no attention to her and kept using his spoon to stir his food around. Lydia looked at him and asked, "What's wrong? You're never this quiet around us."

The teen seemed annoyed and kept silent. Agitha turned to Aryll, who was at a loss as to what to do. They couldn't let their mother find out that Link wasn't behaving like himself...again.

Moments later, Link got up, took his bowl of food and went into the kitchen. He then headed to his room and closed the door behind him. Lydia looked to Aryll and asked, "What happened? He's never been this quiet. He, at least, try to speak and tell us about his day..."

"Um...I don't really know," Aryll told her.

"I'm sure he'll be fine, Lydia. Don't worry," Granny Matilde said.

"I do have the right to worry. He's my only son and I..." Lydia told her mother-in-law.

The old woman sighed and said, "You have to forgive yourself and let him live. What happened I don't believe anyone could have predicted. But the boy does need to live and you need to stop worrying, lest you make yourself sick again."

Lydia shook her head, not wanting to heed her. The old woman helped her to the kitchen and the twins wanted to know what was really going on with their brother. Aryll wanted to barge in and demand Link to tell her what was going on. Agitha thought it would be a bad idea and told her to leave him be.

Aryll whined and said, "But...!"

"If we go in, he'll just get defensive and become highly aggressive, like last time. Let's just go to bed and leave him be," Agitha told her.

She grabbed her protesting twin's arm and the two entered their bedroom. The bedroom was able to fit the twin's bunkbeds, with Aryll having the top bunk and Agitha having the bottom one. A single window, at the home's western side, allowed for a small amount of light to enter the room. Two small desks held the girls' schoolbooks and favorite things, located at the sides of the window.

Like all the other rooms in the home, the room was lit by oil lamps. Two small wardrobes held the girls' clothing, since they had different fashion senses, with Agitha usually wearing darker clothes and Aryll wearing lighter ones. Small pots of flowers were near Agitha's things while pictures of birds were near Aryll's. To tell the time, a small wall clock powered by a blue timeshift stone hung near the door.

The girls prepared themselves for sleep, changing and doing the last bits of homework. Just as Aryll was about to turn off the oil lamp and Agitha hopped into bed, there was a knock at the door.

"Uh...Who is it?" Aryll asked.

"Me," the person behind the door said.

The voice was Link's, but the twins were very suspicious.

"What do you want, 'Mister Me'?" Agitha asked, wanting to go to sleep.

The door opened and they saw Link, but...

"Okay. Are you Link, our brother? Or...?" Aryll asked.

"Or someone else?" Link asked.

He grabbed the chair at Agitha's desk, since it was closest to the door, sat down and he began asking questions. The girls were a bit flustered as they never seen Link do such a thing. His questions were also odd, as if he was in, what Agitha called, a time displacement. He also looked…older, somehow.

"So, you are Aryll and you are Agitha. Hmm...How can the boy tell you two apart?" Link said.

"The 'boy'?" Agitha asked.

"Link" nodded and said, "The boy you call 'Link'. He is your brother, right?"

"Link, you're our brother. Why are you talking like that? You're scaring me," Aryll told him.

"Link" didn't respond and Aryll had a good mind to tell Granny Matilde. Before she could do anything, Agitha asked him, "Then...Who are you since you keep saying that you're not Link?"

"My name is Raven," "Link", or "Raven", said plainly.

"'Raven'? What? What kind of name is that?" Aryll asked.

"Raven" had a questioning look on his face and asked the twins, "What? Is there something wrong with my name? It doesn't sound too odd, does it?"

"Yeah! Your name isn't Raven! It's Link! Link Nodor of Snowpeak Mountain! And we're your sisters, Aryll and Agitha Nodor! Our mom's Dame Lydia Gale-Nodor, a Knight of Hyrule. And our dad was Sir Sigmund Nodor also a Knight of Hyrule! And our grandma is Granny Matilde Calais-Nodor!" Aryll yelled.

"Raven" was a bit surprised, his face showing it.

"Huh..." he muttered.

"What is going on here?" Granny Matilde said, entering.

She scanned the trio and stopped at Link. Getting close to his face, she said, "Hmm...You're here again?"

"'Again'?!" the girls yelled.

"Raven" nodded and told her, "I don't know how I got here, but..."

"But what...'Mister Raven'?" Agitha asked.

Granny Matilde kept her stare at "Raven" and said, "Come with me please. Girls, go to bed."

"Raven" followed and closed the door behind himself. Since the house was small, the girls headed for the door and tried to overhear the conversation.

Granny Matilde started off with, "So...which one are you?"

"Raven's" voice, which was Link's, deepened and his accent changed drastically, sounding more foreign to the girls. He replied with, "Raven. That's really my name."

"So, you're the third one to appear...This isn't good," Granny Matilde said.

"Meaning?" "Raven" asked.

"Do you...remember anything before waking up?" Granny Matilde asked him.

"I...I remember fighting. Fighting in this half-submerged city against Hyrulian forces...I fought my hardest to repel their forces and then...nothing. I remember waking up about six months ago...and a thought to write in the boy's journal came to my mind," "Raven" replied.

"Hmm...Just like the other two..." Granny Matilde told him.

"'Other two'?" Aryll muttered.

"I will speak to the other elders of the matter. Until then, try not to draw too much attention to yourself when you're...awake," Granny Matilde told "Raven".

"I will try. But I cannot promise anything," "Raven" said.

The twins heard a loud thud moments after "Raven" stopped speaking. Seconds later, they heard Link speak, saying, "G-Granny? Wh-What's g-g-going on? Wh-Why am I-I...?"

"Don't worry. Just go to bed, Link. We'll speak about it later," Granny Matilde told him.

The girls could hear nothing else and headed back to bed. Before she could sleep, Aryll began praying, hoping that what had happened wasn't an ill omen.

* * *

 _Okay. So here's chapter two. In the original draft, Link's mind was split, giving him many alter egos and whatnot. Unlike the original draft, Link has two sisters instead of one cousin and an uncle._

 _Now with all that said, review?_


	3. Chapter 3: The Exam

_Thanks to a guest and Shadows from Twilight for their reviews for the last two chapters. With that, here's chapter three and more will be explained...I think._

 _Also, Aginah was a character in A Link to the Past, the old sage found in the desert cave. Sahasrahla was the first sage met in both A Link to the Past and A Link Between Worlds._

 _-miano53_

* * *

 _"You've been friends since you were kids? Big deal. It doesn't change the fact that you float through life with your head in the clouds."_

 _-unknown_

Chapter Three: The Exam

" _Uh…Um…" Prince Ralis stammered._

 _He really, REALLY wanted to leave the dark caverns, but didn't want to show any cowardice towards anyone. He knew that a king would never leave his subjects behind…a good king wouldn't, anyway. The Zora prince wanted to follow the Twilight Princess's advice and flee, but couldn't…as he needed a light source and the group had all of it. He also need to know why the undead Hero killed many of those who protected him on that failed journey to Hyrule Castle Town._

 _The prince and the others gasped as they saw what looked like Link…but with unhealed wounds and his green garb and hat covered in bloodstains. The Shadow Crystal Princess Midna spoke of was protruded from the center of his chest and glowed ominously. A rusted iron sword was in his left hand and the Hylian Shield Link used to have was missing. His facial appearance differed slightly from the time Prince Ralis saw him last. His eyes were red in color, his formerly blond hair was grey and black, Twili-like markings marred his deathly pale skin._

 _The undead Link looked them over and Princess Midna was the first to speak up._

" _You attacked Ralis' men…didn't you?" she asked._

 _He gave her no reply, only giving her a blank stare._

" _And you used powerful magic…?" Rusl asked._

 _The undead looked up at him and muttered, "Rusl…I…I'm…I don't know what's happening to me…"_

 _Ashei, unnerved, was the first to unsheathe her weapon, a broadsword. She charged to attack and ran into an invisible barrier. Prince Ralis noticed that the undead's eyes were glowing brightly and the harsh red of them scared him._

 _Shad chanted a spell that summoned orbs of light to him. He pointed at the wraith and the orbs were sent flying. The creature lifted his right hand and the light was absorbed into darkness._

" _What…the…?" Shad muttered._

 _The undead Link's attention was turned to the fallen Ashei. Not wanting him to attack, Rusl, Auru and the Zora guards started their charge…only to get hit by a shockwave. The wave of energy pushed them all into the cavern's walls, injuring many._

 _Terrified of his newfound power, Prince Ralis hid behind Princess Midna. The Twilight Princess pulled out two scimitars and pointed them at the wraith._

 _With the undead unleashing another shockwave, the pair was pushed back into a wall and the Zora prince began to hyperventilate. The wraith held his sword above the Twili princess's head and was about to strike when Auru recovered, tackling the undead to the ground._

 _The creature got back up and attacked Auru with a flurry of sword swipes. Auru tried his best to dodge and defend himself with a small cannon he carried. Rusl shot an arrow at the undead and it struck his chest. He fell down onto his back and was motionless._

 _Princess Midna quickly rushed to the wraith and made an attempt to rip out the Shadow Crystal when she was shocked by it. She pulled her hand back and said, "It's not letting me take it out."_

" _Then we cut it out!" Ashei declared._

 _She pulled out a knife and was going to cut Link's chest open when the blade broke on contact as if it struck rock._

" _What…?" the warrior said in disbelief._

" _T-Then we s-should bind him and leave him here…" a Zora guard stammered._

 _The others agreed and the Twilight Princess summoned chains to bind the wraith's arms to the stone wall. Princess Midna took the tattered green cap off of his head and said, "You're not him. You'll never be him. The Link we know is dead. The Link I lov…I…Link…He's dead and you can't replace him!"_

 _The group left the cavern and sealed it once outside. Prince Ralis hoped never to see the creature again…and had the idea to tell the king, Ganondorf, of the monster._

' _Maybe…Maybe he'll be reasonable and put that thing far below the surface…And maybe…he won't persecute us for helping Link…when he was alive…' Prince Ralis thought._

* * *

 _Ten years ago, Adoba Village Outskirts..._

 _"It's okay! It's okay! It's going to be okay," a younger Dame Lydia said, hugging a small Gerudo boy._

 _Sir Sigmund and the other Hylian Knights investigated the snowy area. What they found along with the lone Gerudo child were the remains of what were carriages and a traveler's camp. The deceased included other Gerudo and a few Hyrulians of the rounded-ear variety. Their horses were also massacred, making the sight quite pitiful. It looked as if a group of monsters had attacked, eating and tearing everyone and everything apart. But...many of the wounds the had looked as if they were made by a sword._

 _The child was found under one of the overturned carriages, hiding underneath some covers. The simple tan shirt and pants he wore wasn't conducive for the snowy mountains and the knights wondered why they were there. Based on their belongings, the group may have been a traveling caravan from the southwestern deserts._

 _Sigmund took several pictographs for his report and told Lydia, "We should return to town as the sun's going down."_

 _"Alright, but where will this child stay?" Lydia asked._

 _"We'll take him with us for now. Let's just get out of here," Sigmund told her._

 _The knights returned to town, heading to their respective homes. Lydia and Sigmund took the Gerudo child to their home, receiving many questionable looks from the townsfolk. Once they arrived at their abode, the first to greet them was their excitable son._

 _"HI! HI! HI! Hi Momma! Hi Papa!" the five-year-old yelled, hopping up and down._

 _He was followed by two-year-old twin girls. The girls, in their limited Hylian, yelled, "Mommy! Poppy!"_

 _"Hey, my little 'chipmunks'!" Lydia said, hugging the three._

 _The Gerudo child started crying, missing his own mother and father. Sigmund hugged the redhaired boy and their son took notice._

 _"Who's that?" he asked._

 _"Well, Link...This is...uh..." Sigmund started._

 _He turned to the boy and asked, "Um...What is your name, son?"_

 _With the Hylian he knew, the boy said, "Um...G-Groose...Groose Eldirani..."_

 _"Oh! Hi, Groose! I'm Link! These are my sisters, Aryll and Agitha! And this is my Momma and Papa! And I got a Granny but she's not here right now," Link told him, introducing himself and his family._

 _Groose started crying again, still horrified from what he saw. A man in a black cloak and a mask obscuring most of his face appeared out of nowhere. His family's caravan stopped at one of the ice rivers in Snowpeak to make camp for that night. They were on their way to Holodrum and wanted to avoid patrols on both sides of the border._

 _When the man appeared, his family asked if he was lost. He laughed and told them that he was looking for someone. Groose's father tried to asked who he was looking for, but the man wouldn't specify. He then mentioned that he was starving and Groose's mother offered him food._

 _The man laughed louder and his voice became monstrous. He took off his mask and Groose saw that the man's face was that of an undead. The creature roared and Groose dove into the first carriage he could. He put the cover over himself and hoped that the man wouldn't find him._

 _The screams of his family and panicked neighing of the horses filled the air. Groose could hear the undead whistle a melancholy tune and his distorted maniacal laughter. He covered his ears and begged for the Goddess of the Sand, the Gerudo guardian goddess Solara, to protect him._

 _The carriage he was in was turned over and Groose hit his head, almost losing consciousness. The sounds of the screams ceased and Groose dared not leave the carriage. He stayed there for hours until the Hylian Knights of the region found him freezing and in tears._

 _"Groose? Groose? GROOSE!" Link yelled._

 _Groose turned his attention to the Hylian child and said nothing. Link, with a smile on his face, said, "Papa said that you can stay here for a while until you can get 'adoted'. And if you don't, you can be my brother!"_

 _The Gerudo child thought of him as odd, but was happy to find a friendly face after what he went through._

* * *

 _5 Nabooru 1015 of the 6th Era of Water, Aboda Village's School, 10 a.m..._

"Did you study, Groose?" Karane asked.

Coming out of memories, Groose nodded and turned to Pipit. The teen said, "Well I did. What 'bout you, Karane?"

"I did, but I do wonder why we have to take a test on all this," Karane said.

The trio looked to Link and he jolted. His expression was that of discomfort and Karane asked, "We were wondering if you studied."

Link made a face of uncertainty and the trio knew that he didn't. Groose sighed, not getting why the guy was so lazy. He felt that he was just dragging his family's name down. Not that he ever said anything on it.

Elder Sahasrahla entered with a large stack of papers. He placed them on his desk in the front of the class and said, "Alright students. I hope that you all prepared for the exam. The test will be three hours long. Once you're done with your test, you are allowed to go home."

The elder passed out the exam and Groose readied himself. He pulled out his pen and was given the exam. Just before he started, he saw Link's head fall, as if he had fallen asleep. Moments later, he lifted his head up and looked around in confusion.

Groose thought it was odd and immediately started his test as Elder Sahasrahla glared at him. The first series of questions was about the landscape of the empire. He was to name the regions, the major cities and the races that live there. Groose answered as best as he could.

He glanced towards Karane and saw that she was having a difficult time. Pipit as well. Groose looked at Link for a bit and saw that he was vigorously answering questions. A slight gold glow was in his azure eyes and Groose thought he was just seeing things.

Turning back to his test, Groose started answering the second set of questions. They included the elements, how they relate to each other, how they differed and how one could use them.

He remembered the elements of Forest, Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Spirit, Shadow and Light. Forest magic was an evolution of Water magic and gave certain people the ability to control flora. Fire magic was the manipulation of fire and lava, primarily used by Gorons and the Subrosians. Water magic was the manipulation of water, mist, ice and snow and was used mainly by the Zoras. Earth magic was the ability to use the earth itself and was used mostly by the Gorons.

Wind magic was used by the tribes that lived on the sky continents above the Great Sea. Spirit magic was used mostly by Hyrulians and Gerudo and was the manipulation of people's minds. Shadow magic were used by the secretive Sheikah and the Twili and allowed them to use the very shadows to attack. Lastly, Light magic was used by "pointy-eared" Hyrulians called "Hylians" and allowed them to summon light to do their bidding. Due to benevolence, they taught other humans like the Gerudo and a few "rounder-eared" Hyrulians how to use it.

Despite this, not everyone could use magic. To use it, one would have to learn said magic from the various tribes and then be certified through the empire, similar to using any other weapons like swords and arrowguns. Once licensed, a person could use magic...up to a point.

Groose finished and grinned. The grin disappeared once he saw the third series of questions. It was about the known eras of world history. He sighed and really hoped that he could remember what he studied and make Elder Aginah proud.

* * *

 _Two hours later..._

Groose collapsed onto the floor after writing for two hours straight. He was so tired of writing and didn't want to see another paper or pen for the next two months. The good thing was that the exam day was the last day of school and they were to go on a two month vacation, courtesy of the capital. The only problem was that they were expected to work around the village, in the mines or the ice caves.

He sat next to the door of the classroom, waiting on the others to finish. Ten minutes passed and Link was next to complete the test. He sat at the wall across from Groose and seemed bored.

"How do you think ya did?" Groose asked.

Link said nothing. He turned away, scowling, and it seemed as if Link was...different. A few more minutes passed and Karane left the class along with a few of the others. She smiled and said, "I think I did good. How about you guys?"

"I guess I did good. Link, what 'bout you?" Groose asked.

Link refused to make eye contact and kept silent. Another twenty minutes passed and Pipit left the classroom. He sighed and said, "I don't even know how I did...Why do we have to take those tests anyway?"

"Well, the empire does want to make sure that we know about Hyrulian history among other things," Karane told him

Pipit sighed and turned to Link.

"How did you do?" he asked.

Instead of replying, Link scoffed, got up and headed for home. The remaining trio looked at each other and Karane asked, "Do you think...?"

"I dunno. But is it just me or is _it_ getting worse?" Pipit asked.

Groose had a bit of a clue what Pipit was talking about, that being drastic changes in Link's personality. Originally, he thought that the guy had something called bipolar disorder, where his emotions would go out of control. But after what happened yesterday, he had a feeling that something else was going on.

* * *

 _"Groose, I'm afraid that you'll have to stay with Elder Aginah for now," Lydia told the seven-year-old._

 _The child was nearly in tears as he was practically kicked out of the Nodor household by the amnesiac Link. He thought he had a home and a family to replace the one he lost. But after Link attacked him and the others in the hospital, he didn't think he would stay._

 _He was right as Link avoided Groose altogether and whenever he would see the Gerudo child, he would try to attack._

 _Lydia sighed and told Groose, "It'll be only temporary. When Link remembers you, he'll be friendly again and then you can return."_

 _"But!" Groose yelled._

 _"Just...trust me on this. He'll remember. Sooner or later, he will..." Lydia told him._

* * *

"So, will you speak to me, Link?" Elder Aginah asked.

Groose sat in the home's small hallway, out of Link's sight and overheard his foster grandfather speaking with the teen. He tried his usual in coaxing him to speak, but Link refused. He would give a few disappointed sighs, grunts and scoffs whenever Elder Aginah tried.

"So, I believe you're one of the others...aren't you?" the elder asked.

Groose peeked from his hiding spot and saw Link's demeanor change. He had a bit of a smirk on his face and Groose was a bit shaken by it.

"How could you tell?" Link asked, his voice changed and without a single stutter.

The teen's accent changed drastically and Groose couldn't identify it. Link leaned back onto the couch and asked Elder Aginah, "So, is everyone here this dense?"

The elder glared and told him, "It is not that we're 'dense'. We..."

"You really hope that the 'kid'll' recover and talk. You do realize that he won't, right? He's scared of being made fun over a little stutter. The kid's a coward and you know it," Link, or whoever it was, said harshly.

"Yet you're apart of him and he's apart of you," Elder Aginah told him.

Link scoffed and said, "It's not like I had a choice."

He turned to his left and locked eyes with Groose, who release a slew of curses. The Hylian shot off an orb of Light magic at him and Groose jumped out of the way.

"Wha-What was that for?" Groose yelled.

"What are you doing here, Gerudo?" "Link" asked.

"I LIVE here! Who're you and what've you done to my friend?" Groose yelled.

"Link" stood up and asked, "Why should I tell you, you 'sandblasted _gorja_ '?"

"A what?" Groose asked.

Elder Aginah shook his head and told Groose, "He just called you something extremely derogatory in Labrynnan…I really hoped that the others would behave and stay asleep within him."

"But I didn't. So, I guess your wishes didn't come true, old geezer," Link said, scoffing.

'Link would never say somethin' like that. What the heck's goin' on?' Groose thought.

Elder Aginah turned to Groose and said, "This is..."

"'Bartholomew'," Link, or "Bartholomew", added.

"He is one of the many other...personalities Link has..." Elder Aginah explained.

Groose mouth dropped, shocked that Link had an alter ego. But after what happened yesterday, he could believe it. He didn't know if that and the accident were connected somehow, but he had a feeling that it did.

"I'm not another 'personality'. I'm me!" "Bartholomew" yelled.

Elder Aginah wasn't having it and said, "He is one of the few personalities that 'awakened' recently. According to Elder Matilde, he was 'born' after the accident."

"Bartholomew" was offended and yelled, "What are you talking about? I was born..."

"Do you even remember where you're from, 'Bartholomew'?" Elder Aginah asked.

"I..." "Bartholomew" started.

"Do you remember your parents or any of your family? Do you remember your childhood? What about your adolescent years? Your adult years?" Elder Aginah asked.

"Bartholomew" fell silent and it seemed like he didn't know what to say.

"And why do you hate me so much?" Groose asked.

"Bartholomew" turned his attention to him and replied with, "You Gerudo can't be trusted."

"Why not? I didn't do anythin'! And I thought we were friends, practically brothers," Groose said.

"That kid's friends with a _gorja_?" "Bartholomew" asked.

"Yes...YOU are. Link is friends with Groose Eldirani, despite your 'birth' and racist behavior towards him when you're 'awake'," Elder Aginah told him.

The alter ego was silent again and the elder continued.

"You aren't a person. You're a fragment of Link's mind. Nothing more. Nothing less," Elder Aginah said.

"Bartholomew" glared and Groose saw his eyes turn a gold color. A faint light came from his left hand and the alter ego told the two, "I'll prove you wrong, old man. You two, Gerudo."

He passed out, falling onto his right side, and the aura from his left had dissipated. Seconds later, the Hylian woke up, looked around in confusion and asked through stutters, "W-What happened? I-I-I..."

"You don't remember talkin' to us?" Groose asked.

"I-I-I d-did? Wh-What did...did I s-say? D-did...?" Link asked.

"You did say something...rather..." Elder Aginah told him.

Link looked guilty and asked, "Wh-What did I-I-I s-say?"

Before the elder could stop him, Groose told him, "You kept callin' yourself 'kid', called Elder Aginah 'old man' and 'geezer' and you kept glarin' at me. And you shot magic at me! What did I ever do to you?"

"I-I-I did? I...I d-don't know m-magic," Link told him.

Elder Aginah slapped himself on the forehead and told Groose, "Please, Groose. Do not say more."

"Why not? Just tell him the truth. He's been actin' really weird for the past two days and has been sayin' some messed up stuff," Groose continued.

Link was horrified and Groose added, "And you called yourself..."

"Groose no!" Elder Aginah yelled.

"Wh-What...did-did I...?" Link asked.

Not heeding the elder, Groose said, "You called yourself 'Bartholomew' and said that you weren't 'another personality'."

"Wha...?" Link yelled in disbelief.

Elder Aginah sighed and told Link, "Please go home now. We'll discuss this later."

Link did as he was told and the elder turned to Groose.

"As for you," he started.

The teen was slapped on the back of his head and the elder told him, "When I tell you not to say anything, do it!"

"But he's gotta know!" Groose yelled.

"It is not time for him to know. Now that you've told him, his emotional state will be unstable, affecting his mental state. It's already been shattered and I'm afraid that what you've said will damage it further," Elder Aginah said.

Groose felt guilty, not knowing or even thinking about that. He just wanted the guy to know what was going on.

"Er...Well...um...I...Sorry 'bout that..." Groose muttered.

"It's too late to apologize. Just pray to the gods that what you've revealed will not further harm Link," Elder Aginah said.

* * *

 _So, another persona revealed itself. And Elder Aginah didn't want Link to find out about them. Wonder why._

 _Also, a bit of Groose's backstory is revealed. The poor guy. Lost his entire family to a monster._


	4. Chapter 4: Aloofness

_"Oh! What is this? There, on your hand, the Triforce piece now dwells within you! It is the Triforce of Courage, proof that you are indeed the true hero. You have controlled the wind and crossed the seas, and here, near the end of your quest, the power of the gods has been bestowed upon you..."_

 _-ancient sage_

Chapter Four: Aloofness

" _So, you think that flattery will save you?" Ganondorf, the new king of Hyrule, said to the small Zora prince._

 _"N-No..." Prince Ralis muttered._

 _The Zora prince and his entourage stood in the throne room of the rebuilt Hyrule Castle and bowed at their king. He was had told the Dark King on what had happened to the wraith that attacked at Lake Hylia. He also told Ganondorf that it was the same person who had tried to kill him the previous year._

 _Ganondorf looked skeptical and said, "I destroyed him. There is no way for him to return…not in this lifetime, anyway."_

" _Huh?" Prince Ralis asked._

" _And you said that he attacked you while on a trip in Lake Hylia?" Ganondorf said, still looking skeptical._

" _Yes. But…He is indeed…dead," Prince Ralis told him._

" _Ah, so he's been turned into the living dead. Well, that's nothing to be concerned about," Ganondorf said._

" _But…He-He'll…It'll attack many people just to get to you, Your Majesty!" Prince Ralis yelled._

 _Ganondorf looked unenthused and asked, "So what do you want me to do about it?"_

" _I ask that you imprison that creature…then the people will be safe and they'll trust you more," Prince Ralis told him._

 _The Dark King seemed to like the idea, dismissing the Zora prince._

* * *

" _Um…So Link really is?" the thirteen-year-old Colin asked._

 _Rusl, not wanting to be the bearer of bad news, nodded. The others in the village of Ordon gasped, not believing what he had confirmed. Since their return to the village, under the "goodwill" of the new king, Ganondorf, the residents tried to return to their normal lives. They tried hard, despite the fact that their beloved friend, Link, was gone._

 _None wanted to believe it, some saying that it was an evil rumor spread by the followers of the dark. The others tried to grasp the concept…but couldn't. During that year, Ilia was inconsolable and vowed to get revenge on Link's murder. Rusl successfully stopped her, telling her that Link wouldn't want her to strike out on revenge._

 _Near the end of that year, Rusl and a few of the adults had heard rumors of Link being alive from travelers from the capital. He didn't want to believe it and was suspect about the whole thing. He thought that if Link was alive the whole time, he would've made contact with the village and Epona wouldn't have been so mopey._

" _No…Link…H-He couldn't have been…" Ilia stammered._

 _Rusl remembered that the resistance had contacted him, telling him of what the Zoras had seen. Link was indeed dead, but something was wrong. His body…began acting with a will of its own, a will that sought to complete what Link could not._

 _He couldn't believe that as he knew that Link would've been turned into one of the living dead if the rumors were true. After joining Prince Ralis and Princess Midna on an expedition into the lantern caverns of Lake Hylia, Rusl was horrified at what he saw. A Shadow Crystal situated in the deceased's chest where his heart would've been was controlling the body of the one he called "son."_

 _When he returned to Ordon after helping in the wraith's sealing, Colin repeatedly asked him if the rumors were true. With a heavy heart, he gathered the village together. He told them that the rumors were…half-truths. Talo and Beth were equally confused, not seeing how._

 _Rusl explained what had happened and the villagers could barely believe him. Ilia began to cry and her father, Mayor Bo, consoled her. The usually stoic Malo had a bewildered look on his face and said, "So, he's a monster now…?"_

" _The Link we know is gone. According to…a friend, a piece of dark magic controls is body now. It wants to complete what Link couldn't do: save this world from the darkness. But…how when it's a creature of the dark?" Rusl told them._

" _So…What can we do if he comes back?" Colin asked._

" _I don't know, son. But…if he does…then we must be prepared," Rusl replied._

 _Uli was worried and asked, "For what?"_

" _To fight, if need be," Rusl told her._

* * *

 _The next morning..._

"Um...Mom, Link hasn't come of his room, not even for breakfast..." Aryll told Lydia.

Agitha watched from a distance, reading her book on various flora found in the southern continent. The twins had awakened early, their usual, and had gotten a start for their day. Their mother was able to stay home from patrols and had decided to rest. Granny Matilde planned for some chores and was prepared to delegate, but Link was still in the bed.

When Agitha went to wake him up, he reply with a shudder. She assumed that he was ill and went about her business. Aryll was angered at her sister's "lack of caring" and panicked as Link's condition had gotten worse.

She told their mother that Link had started to shudder and talk in his sleep. Lydia headed for his room and Agitha went back to reading. Aryll sat next to her and asked, "Why are you just sitting there, reading? Link's in..."

"Why are you so worried about him, Aryll?" Agitha told her.

"Because he's in trouble. Why aren't you?" Aryll said.

Agitha sighed and told her, "He'll be fine. He's always fine when we find him. So, stop worrying."

"But!" Aryll started.

Her twin glared at her and Aryll headed for their room, not able to convince Agitha to worry. Just as she resumed her reading about the use of Forest magic, their mother came out of Link's room with a horrified look on her face.

"L-Link's gone! He's not in his room, but the windows are closed and everything! Where is he? He couldn't have ran off!" she yelled.

Granny Matilde went into their brother's room, only to come back out with a saddened expression. Aryll, hearing the commotion, rushed out of their room and was told by Lydia the situation. She then joined their mother in panicking.

"He's never done this before...Hmm...I will speak with the village elders. I fear what is happening to him," Granny Matilde said.

"The girls and I will...!" Lydia started.

Aryll shook her head and said, "No Mom, we'll go and see if Link's in town."

Agitha didn't think that Link was in trouble and didn't see the need to worry. Seeing Aryll panic made her appreciate that she was the more level-headed of the two. Without even asking her, Aryll told Lydia that she and Agitha were going to look for their brother.

Lydia wasn't too convinced they would find him, but said, "Be careful, you two."

Heeding her, the girls left, heading out into the blistering cold. From the cloudy skies and increasing wind speeds, the day was going to bring another snowstorm. Agitha wondered how Link wandered out of the house, as he seemed to have vanished into thin air.

"What is going on with Link? Even when he had his migraines and seizures, he never just up and vanished," Aryll said.

Agitha replied with, "Maybe another persona surfaced."

Aryll's face was that of despair and Agitha tried to calm her down to no avail.

"Oh no! If one has, th-then he'll...!" Aryll stammered.

Agitha shook her head and said, "It'll just confirm the brain damage he has. But he wouldn't be like this if you guys weren't so adamant about his not taking that medicine."

"He said he felt funny every time he took it!" Aryll yelled.

They received odd looks from passing townsfolk and Agitha said, "It's better for him to take that medicine than wandering through life not knowing if he's himself or not."

"And I say that it's better for him to not take it if it makes you feel weird," Aryll retorted.

Agitha groaned, thinking her sister an idiot for not seeing reason. She remembered one of the times when she came face to face with one of Link's alter-egos. He hadn't taken his medication that week, despite their mother ordering him to.

* * *

 _Five years ago..._

 _"Link? Hey, Link. I was going to ask you something," a younger Agitha said, entering Link's room._

 _She saw him sitting at his window, staring out of it. He audibly sighed and the girl asked what was wrong. Her brother turned to look at her and he seemed to not recognize her._

 _In a clear, but somewhat timid voice, Link asked her, "Who...Who are you?"_

 _"Um, I'm your sister, Agitha. What's wrong, Link? Did you take your medicine like Ma told you?" Agitha told him._

 _She didn't catch that he was speaking clearer than his usual and he turned back to the window. Link then asked, "Why is there so much snow?"_

 _"Because we live in the mountains and there's always snow here. No, really. What's wrong?" Agitha asked him._

 _Link kept his stare at the outside and asked, "Where are we?"_

 _"Snowpeak Mountains. Seriously, Link did you take your medicine? They said it'll help wiht what's wrong with your head," Agitha replied._

 _"I...I..." Link started._

 _He fell out of the chair, landed on his left side, and began convulsing violently. The sight terrified Agitha and she ran out of the room, calling for help._

 _Later, after Link recovered, Granny Matilde and the other elders questioned her harshly. They wondered what had happened before the seizure. Agitha told them what happened, but they insisted that she did something to aggravate Link's condition. The girl told them that she didn't, but the elders, save for Granny Matilde, didn't believed her._

 _Highly upset that the elders had accused her of harming her brother, Agitha ran into her room, slammed it and locked herself inside. She cried, wondering why they treated Link so peculiarly. She wondered if it was because of his condition or if it was something else. Either way, she didn't appreciate it._

* * *

"What? Link's gone?" Pipit asked.

Agitha snapped out of her flashback and noticed Pipit standing next to Aryll. He was distraught and said, "Where would Link go? A blizzard's coming this way. The soldiers want everyone inside."

"I don't know. But we gotta find him!" Aryll said.

"Okay, I'll go find Karane and we'll search in the north and east. You two go find Groose and go search near the gate and in the west. We'll meet up at the town's gate if we can't find him," Pipit told them and ran off.

Aryll turned to Agitha and asked if she was okay.

"Why are you asking me? I'm fine. You?" Agitha said.

"I'm fine as I can be...Let's go find Groose," Aryll told her.

After finding the Gerudo at his home with Elder Aginah a half hour later, the twins told him of what had happened. Elder Aginah listened intently and gave a few nods. Groose headed back to his room and quickly changed into his heavy winter garb of blue, tan and light green. His fixed his odd pompadour and left with the twins.

As they searched, the trio asked everyone if they had seen Link. Many said that they didn't. Others questioned their looking for him. After several minutes with pleading with the townsfolk, they were finally told that Link was headed for the town's chapel. With that, the trio rushed for the chapel.

* * *

The Snowpeak Mountain Spirits' chapel was somewhat large and in the ancient Hylian style, similar to that of the famed Temple of Time. The interior was able to house 500 worshipers at a time. Twelve rows of pews, each row having two pairs, and allowed for worshipers to sit comfortably while praying. A marble altar depicting the creation goddesses, Din, Nayru and Farore, were behind the priest's table.

The chapel was quite cold as the walls were stone and not insulated and the wood floors were barely covered with carpet. Lamp stands with lit candles lined the walls and provided light to the dim interior. Large stained glass windows depicting various saints of Hyrulian religious lore filled the temple and allowed for most light to come in, as well as allowing for a lot of heat to be lost.

To compensate for the chill in the air, the priests wore thick clothes and tried to make small fires in the corners of the chapel. They placed wood in metallic containers in the four corners and lit them on fire. The fire cut down on the dampness and chill, making the place warmer than outside, but only a bit.

Agitha spotted Link sitting at the front of the empty chapel. It looked as if he was praying, but she knew better. She was about to say something when Aryll and Groose walked ahead.

"Link? Link, you're okay!" Aryll said, running towards him.

She hugged him, but he didn't return it. Instead, he turned to her and asked, "W-Who...?"

Aryll stepped back and Agitha joined them. She gasped, seeing his eyes a shining gold, not the usual blue. A glow came from his left hand and a mark in the shape of the Holy Relic appeared.

"Okay, who are you?" Agitha asked.

Link seemed confused and said, "Link. Who are you?"

The trio turned to each other and back at Link.

"Uh...okay...You sure you're our Link? Sure you're not someone else?" Groose asked.

"Pretty sure...Um...Seriously, who are you guys? Where am I? How did I get here? Where's Midna? Where's the princess?" Link asked, standing up.

He looked around and Aryll muttered to her sister, "Um...I don't think he's our Link. Who's Midna?"

"That sounds like a Twili name. But why is he looking for a Twili?" Agitha muttered back.

Link, still distraught, kept asking questions. He asked about the state of the land, what day it was, why he was in the chapel and many other things. Aryll and Groose tried to answer as many questions as they could without causing further harm to the teen's psyche. Agitha thought he was just kidding around, but then started to think something else as he didn't have his usual stutter.

"So...I'm...I'm in Snowpeak? Why? I took the mirror shard from here and headed for the forest...I was supposed to get a shard from the forest..." Link said, pacing in front of the altar.

'And it's getting worse. I knew it would be a bad idea to have him go without his medicine,' Agitha thought.

"What...forest? Everything's ice in these parts and most of Hyrule's under ice," Aryll told him.

"Under...ice?" Link asked.

He held his head and tightly shut his eyes, as if in pain. Moments later, he opened his azure eyes and, through heavy stuttering, asked, "W-What happened?"

Aryll latched onto Link and started crying. Agitha kept her distance and turned away from the scene. Groose, relieved, told Link, "Welcome back, man."

"I-I w-went s-somewhere?" Link asked.

"You kept asking us odd questions, asking about a girl named Midna, and saying things like you 'found the mirror shard'," Aryll said.

"I-I...d-d-did?" Link asked.

Agitha left the chapel, as Link seemed to be back to normal. Aryll called out to her, but the girl refused to stop walking. Link was fine, she thought, and there was no more reason to stay in the chapel.

* * *

 _"Agitha, no one's blaming you for what happened," Lydia said._

 _"But...But the elders...They all started yelling and screaming at me when they found out what happened to Link. They think I'm lying, that I did something or said something to hurt him. But I wouldn't!," Agitha cried._

 _Her mother tried to comfort her in a hug, but that only made it worse. The girl started bawling and said, "I didn't do anything! I really didn't!"_

 _Aryll watched her sister and tried to offer support. Agitha wanted none of it._

 _"Why won't they believe me? And why do they treat Link like he's special?" Agitha cried._

 _"They're just sensitive to his needs right now," Lydia told her._

 _Aryll joined in the hugging and said, "I don't know why the elders said that, but you're not a liar. You never were. You always tell the truth, even if you say it in a really mean way. And yeah, I think they're only treating Link like that because he's messed up in the head right now."_

 _"But why treat him like that? He's not that special! He's just got a messed up head and they won't let us help him get back to normal," Agitha cried._

 _Lydia sighed and told her daughter, "I don't know. But we should trust what they say for now."_

* * *

 _Hours later, Nodor house..._

Agitha stayed in her room, laying on her bed and reading books found in her father's archives on the previous era, the 4th Shadow Era of Twilight. The name Link had mentioned during his trance, Midna, was indeed of Twili origin and was the name of the "Twilight Princess". Midna was also the name of one of the patron saints of the Twili. From what Agitha found out through her readings and things she read in the library, the saint and the princess were one and the same.

She helped an unnamed warrior in that era. According to that issue of the Hyrule Historia, the man was declared a traitor as he attempted to assassinate the first emperor. His name was blotted out, only the word "Kingslayer".

Agitha remembered the many tales of that warrior. A man who committed the second-highest offense in the empire, worthy of death: treason. He betrayed the saintess, Midna, attacked her and the emperor when they tried to convince him that the Twili Usurper King acted alone in his conquest of Hyrule and the demise of the Hyrulian Princess, Zelda Hyrule XVI. Instead of listening, he tried to kill the emperor, only for the emperor to successfully defend himself. The Kingslayer was put to death immediately and his name blotted out from history...

A knock at the door interrupted her and she asked, "Who is it?"

"Um...M-me..." the person said.

Recognizing the voice and the stutter, Agitha said, "Link, I don't want to see you. Go away."

Instead of listening to her, Link peeked his head in and looked worried about her. Agitha stared at him from her desk and asked, "What do you need, Link? If that's really you..."

Link entered and said, "W-Why are y-you t-talking t-t-to me like th-that? I-I was just try...trying to ch-check up on y-you. Wh-Why did you r-run away?"

Agitha turned away and said, "You wouldn't understand."

"I th-think I c-could," Link told her.

Agitha turned away and said, "Please go away."

She heard him take her desk chair and she turned around to see him sitting in it. Agitha was miffed, wondering why her brother opted to say, despite her wishes for him to leave. Link noticed and asked, "A-Are you m-mad at m-me? Y-Y-You're no-not looking okay..."

"I'm fine, alright? Just leave me be, Link," Agitha told him.

"Um...D-Did I do or s-say something wro-wrong? Yo-You're an-angry," Link said.

Agitha kept silent and Link told her, "Um...If-If I d-did anything t-t-to make you mad, I-I'm s-sor-sorry."

He left, closing the door behind him. Once gone, Agitha muttered, "Saying sorry just won't cut it..."

* * *

 _So, we have some character development for Agitha. Hopefully my slow pace for the characters is providing a solid foundation for the rest of the story._

 _So, tell me what you think in a review. Is the pace too slow or is it just right?_

 _-miano53_


	5. Chapter 5: Mysterious Newcomer

_"If you would seek the sacred triangle, listen well...The resting place of the sacred triangle, the Sacred Realm, is a mirror that reflects what is in the heart...the heart of one who enters it...If an evil heart, the Realm will become full of evil; if pure, the Realm will become a paradise. The Triforce...the sacred triangle...it is a balance that weighs the three forces: Power, Wisdom and Courage. If the heart of the one who holds the sacred triangle has all three forces in balance, that one will gain the True Force to govern all. But, if that one's heart is not in balance, the Triforce will separate into three parts: Power, Wisdom and Courage. Only one part will remain for the one who touched the Triforce...the part representing the force that one most believes in. If that one seeks the True Force, that one must acquire the two lost parts. Those two parts will be held within others chosen by destiny, who will bear the Triforce mark on the backs of their hands."_

 _-ancient Sheikah legend_

Chapter Five: The Mysterious Newcomer

 _"Are you sure you want to see him? He does hate you, you know."_

 _The 45-year-old Midna of the Twili, among those in the secretive Hyrulian Resistance, walked through an underground hall. Jail cells held starving inmates, most imprisoned due to the recent "purges." Her small entourage of Twili guards accompanied her and they gave the inmates, mostly disloyal Hyrulians, small amounts of food._

 _The Twilight Queen stopped in front of a jail cell that had many black and green seal talismans on its bars. Midna could see chains binding a person in the dark and its rattling told her that the person was alert._

" _Why are you here…?" the person asked._

 _Midna peered into the cell and saw the wraith that she had fought years ago in the lantern cavern at Lake Hylia. The majority of his appearance hadn't changed at all after a quarter of a century. His green tunic was still stained from old blood and was worn and tattered. His previous self's traditional green cap was missing, revealing near snow white hair._

 _He glared at her with harsh red eyes and said, "Why are you here, Midna?"_

" _And you haven't aged at all…The dark magic in your body has given you an 'unlife', similar to ReDeads and Gibdos," Queen Midna said, not answering the wraith._

" _Why are you here? To tell me that I'm dead, again? To say I'm not your precious 'Hero'?" the wraith asked._

" _No. I just…I needed to see if…" the Twilight Queen started._

" _To see if I died…" the wraith told her, his glare deepening._

" _And you haven't decayed yet. Seriously, that…is not normal. You're among the dead now. You should be in shambles. It's been 25 years…" Queen Midna said._

" _You should know why," the wraith said, a small smirk crossing his lips._

" _The crystal only gave Link the power to transform into his lupine state…not grant pseudo immortality…Unless…Unless the Dark King..." Queen Midna said._

 _The wraith's smirk turned into a sinister, toothy grin and the Twilight Queen gasped._

" _I…I won't let you tarnish his name any further. I'll find a way to destroy that crystal," she yelled._

 _The Twili and her entourage disappeared._

* * *

 _"So, you're telling me that Link has...?" Sigmund asked Elder Aginah._

 _The elderly man sighed and said, "Yes. His mind, in order to cope with the injury and the amnesia, created 'others'."_

 _"'Others'?" Lydia asked._

 _"Other personalities. Two have already revealed themselves, but did not mention their 'names'. I fear that there maybe more," Elder Aginah told them._

 _Lydia turned to her husband and all Sigmund could say was, "We'll just have to keep an eye on him."_

 _"And do not tell him or anyone else of the 'others'. I fear for his safety if we do," Elder Aginah warned._

* * *

A figure clad in black robes sat by a small fire in the valley near Aboda Village. Snow flakes fell silently around him and he paid no attention to it. The light winds rattled the snow-covered fir trees around the campsite and a slight chill caused him to shiver. He kept his gaze on the fire and didn't see a shadowy figure stealthily approach from the treetops.

Tired, he rubbed his eyes and turned around, hearing a noise.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

A slender, older woman clad in a blue and white leotard appeared, jumping down. The white armor with a red crying eye in its center was around her torso, along with armor for her forearms and legs. The attire suggested that she was battle ready. A naginata was on her back and she brandished it, pointing it at the robed figure.

"You are...the one terrorizing these mountains, yes?" she said in an odd accent.

"'Terro...rizing'? What do you mean?" the figure asked.

The woman stared at him with blood-red eyes and told him, "Don't play dumb with me, monster!"

"'Monster'? I'm not a monster. I'm me," the figure said.

"Enough talk! Have at you! Hiya!" the woman shouted, leaping into the air.

* * *

 _10 Nabooru 1015, Aboda Village, thoroughfare..._

"Okay, now that school's out, what're we gonna do?" Groose asked.

Link turned to Groose and said nothing as he hadn't a clue what he was going to do. He thought that he could do a few odd jobs around town, like helping out the town's blacksmith or shoveling some snow for the elderly.

"Well, I'm going to work at the defense wall," Pipit said.

Karane, Aryll and Agitha gasped at what the teen announced, thinking it was a crazy idea. Link remembered that the mountain fortress was hiring and paid well, but the defense wall was so far away from Aboda. That and the empire being at war with their neighbors made the place dangerous as attacks from Holodrum could've happened at anytime.

"But...!" Karane said.

Pipit smiled, put a hand on her shoulder and said, "I'll be back before school starts up again, Karane."

"Okay. But please be careful," she told him.

Grinning, as the group of family and friends knew about the pair's relationship, Groose yelled, "Will you just kiss her already?"

Pipit and Karane blushed, with the former saying, "Wh-What are you talking about, Groose? We're just friends."

"Y-Yes. Just friends," Karane said.

Link didn't believe them as the two were friends since childhood. Due to certain circumstances which included Pipit saving Karane from a pack of rabid Wolfos a few years ago, the two gradually became attracted to each other. They didn't say anything on it, but Link could tell based on the way they would look at each other. Like an eternal longing for the other.

Groose and he would suggest that Pipit would ask Karane out, but he would refuse every time. When asked why, the teen would make odd excuses, such as he had to make soup for his grandmother or his having to stay after school for a nonexistent book report. Link thought that Pipit was scared, but with the right motivation he would gather his courage and ask the girl out.

"Okay, well I plan on learning Forest magic," Agitha said.

"Why? Hylians can't use it," Groose asked.

Karane nodded and added, "And the ones who used it vanished long ago. So, no one really knows how to use it."

Agitha was a bit miffed and said, "It's just an evolution of water magic, so I'm sure that Zoras know how to use it."

"But the Zoras left. There aren't any around here anymore," Aryll told everyone.

"Then I'll go traveling. I'll find a Zora that'll teach me," Agitha said.

"But Mom won't let you go by yourself," Aryll said.

Her twin turned and glared. Link wondered why Agitha would want to learn magic. He thought that it was just weird, people controlling elements like that. According to Groose, he used magic against him during his blackout days ago...

Pipit asked Link, snapping him out of his thoughts, "So, what do you plan to do?"

"Um...I-I...I d-don't know," Link replied.

"He's probably going to take more speech lessons with Elder Aginah," Aryll told everyone.

Link really didn't want to, but knew he was going to be forced to. He suddenly felt dizzy, stumbling backwards. Before he could fall over, Karane and Aryll caught him. The teen pinched the ridge of his nose and shook his head, trying to recover.

"You okay?" Aryll asked.

Link nodded and the group split up, headed for home. As Aryll, Agitha and Link walked, he couldn't help but feel that something...bad was about to happen. He became worried as those feelings of his usually were right and were usually followed by a blackout.

Just as he came out of his thoughts, a figure in a black cloak barreled towards Link and his sisters. Before he could move out of the way, the person crashed into him and the two tumbled onto the ground.

"Ow!" the person, male, cried out in pain.

"Hey! Watch where you're going! You knocked over my brother!" Aryll yelled at him.

Link was a bit dazed and the figure helped him up.

"I'm sorry. Are you okay?" he asked.

LInk nodded and his sisters glared at the newcomer. The cloaked figure looked towards the direction he ran from and told the trio, "Uh...If anyone asks, you didn't see me."

He ran off, heading for the town's inn. Link thought that the man was odd, but said nothing of it. Just as he thought to leave for home, the three saw a white-haired, slender woman run towards them. She was armed with a naginata and slid to a stop when she saw the teens.

"Oy! You three!" she said with an odd accent.

"Um, hi," Aryll replied meekly.

"Have you children seen a man in a black cloak?" she asked.

Link remembered what the hooded figure told him and thought to say that he did. But something compelled him not to. Agitha, however, said, "Well, we saw him head for the town's inn. It's in that direction."

Link noticed that she was pointing where the chapel was. The woman thanked her and resumed her sprint.

"What was that for? Why did you lie, Agitha?" Aryll asked.

"The man did say if anyone was to ask that we're to say that we didn't see him. Last I remember, I'm not bound to him or anything like that," Agitha replied.

"B-But w-why d-did you...?" Link asked.

Agitha turned to him and said, "Why did I tell that Sheikah the inn's over there? Well, I think it will give him a headstart in leaving this village. I don't want anymore trouble here that we already have."

* * *

" _Raven! Lord Raven! The imperial army is here!"_

" _Yeah and they've surrounded the castle! What do we do? Oh! What do we do?"_

" _Stop panicking."_

" _But, milord! The emperor's among them!"_

" _Er…Why…Why are you smiling?"_

" _We will show him what the people of the Sunken City of Holodrum can do."_

" _Uh…Why?"_

" _Yeah, isn't that crazy?"_

" _Take the women and children towards Mt. Cucco and then to Goron Mountain. The Gorons will protect you there."_

" _What about you, Lord Raven?"_

" _I'll stay here with the remaining soldiers and fight…"_

" _But, isn't that…?"_

" _If I don't, who will buy you time to escape?"_

" _We understand."_

* * *

Loud banging woke Link up from his sleep. He groaned, wondering who could be at their home so late at night. Walking from his room, passing his sisters' and mother's rooms and entering the home's small front room, Link headed for the door and the banging became persistent. He thought to look out the nearby window and heard his mother sleepily ask, "Who is it?"

His grandmother came out of her room and angrily yelled, "We don't want any!"

Lydia pushed passed Link and checked the peephole.

"Who is it?" she asked.

"Uh...I really need some shelter and it's very cold out here," the person said.

Recognizing the voice, Link told his mother that it was the man that had ran into him earlier that day. Lydia didn't trust him and asked the man, "Why are you here? Why didn't you get a room at the inn?"

"There weren't any available rooms," the man said.

"Poppycock!" Lydia declared.

"It's true! A retinue from the empire just took up all the rooms and they won't let me stay there. Please, I really need somewhere to stay! I'll pay you as much as you want," the man told her.

Lydia looked to Link and he looked back at her. He didn't know if it was a good idea to trust the guy. He thought that no one in the village would open their doors to a complete stranger in the middle of the night, lest something terrible should happen to them. But, he felt that it was the right thing to do. So, he opened the door.

The figure that he met earlier that day stood in the doorway and thanked them profusely. To Lydia's chagrin, he entered the home, sat on the couch and took off his hood, quickly getting comfortable. Link was taken aback as the man's face seemed familiar somehow.

With a sigh, the man smiled at the mother and son, revealing ruby red eyes and teeth that made his expression look feral.

"Thank you very much. I really appreciate it," the man told them.

Lydia yawned and asked, "Who are you and what brings you to Aboda?"

The man's face fell and he stared at the bare wooden floor.

"Hmm...I...don't really remember," the man said.

Link saw from the corner of his eyes Aryll and Agitha. They, with sleep in their eyes, looked at the man and Aryll was the first to ask, "Who is this...?"

Agitha, waking up, asked the man, "Aren't you...the same man that ran Link over?"

"Yes. I'm sorry about that," the man told her.

Lydia seemed to become more interested in him and asked, "So, you said that you don't remember your name. You have amnesia?"

"I guess so. The only thing I remember is living in a snowy ravine near this massive wall for a few years...And then one day, a woman calling me 'Oni' started chasing me and..." the man said.

"So, your name's 'Oni'?" Lydia asked him.

The man became lost in thought and replied moments later with, "I think so. I can't think of any other names. So, 'Oni' it is."

Link thought that the man was odd, but seemingly harmless. Oni looked to Lydia and asked if he could stay in exchange for housework. Link's mother turned to her children and then back to Oni.

"I really, really don't know. I'm not comfortable with strangers in my home," Lydia said to Oni.

Oni clasped his hands together, as if in prayer, and begged the woman, saying, "Please. Please. I really, really need a place to stay. I'll cook, clean and whatever else you need done."

Remembering that there was an attic in the home, Link told Lydia, "Um...W-We h-have th-the at-attic..."

"Yes, but that place hasn't been cleaned in years," Lydia said.

"I'll clean it. Please, I have nowhere else to go. I'll make myself useful. So, please," Oni begged.

Lydia caved in and said, "Alright. Link will show you to the attic, but...If you do anything that makes me suspicious, I'll drag you out to the town's gate myself. Are we clear?"

Oni nodded, agreeing to the woman's terms.

* * *

 _Two days later..._

"So Pipit's gone to the fortress, Karane was hired for village guard duty and Groose elected to work in the ice caves for the summer. What will you do, Link?" Elder Sahasrahla asked.

Link sat in the elder's home, as it was time for another therapy session. The elder was accompanied by Granny Matilde, Elder Aginah and Lady Umma. They watched him carefully as he tried to form his words without a single stutter.

"I...I w-was going t-to st-stay here," Link told them.

"And do what?" Elder Aginah asked.

The teen turned to his right and couldn't think of what he could do. The Nodor's had the reluctant pleasure of hosting a house guest. He thought that watching the man like a hawk was top priority. He had thought to return home, but remembered that his mother was still at home. If the man tried to pull anything, she would stop him, using the magical and martial arts that she knew. His worry for her lessened after remembering that.

"Um, I-I was g-g-going to...um...help around t-the house...Or he-help pick emb-ber s-s-seeds," Link replied.

"And you're going to keep practicing your speech, right?" Elder Sahasrahla asked.

Link nodded, but knew that he wasn't going to like it.

 _"Why not?"_

Link looked to the elders and asked, "Um...Di-Did y-y-you s-say something?"

"Say what?" Lady Umma asked.

 _"You're scared of failing at it? Nonsense."_

Link heard the voice again and started to become terrified. He got up and started leaving when Granny Matilde stopped him.

"What is wrong?" she asked.

"I-I heard...um...Y-You really d-d-didn't hear th-that?" Link asked her.

His grandmother shook her head and Link quickly left the elders. He rushed home and entered, only to have his jaw drop at the sight of Oni...cleaning the front room with a cloth in one hand and a bucket of cleaning mixtures in the other. His mother was sitting on the couch and sipping what looked like some tea. As Oni scrubbed the floors while on his knees, the woman was pleased.

"Don't forget the corners," Lydia told him.

Oni nodded and the two noticed Link staring at the odd scene.

"Oh, hi Link," Lydia said, smiling.

 _"Who is he?"_

Link searched for the owner of the voice and started to feel terrified as he felt that he was losing what was left of his mind. Without greeting his mother, the teen rushed for his room, slamming the door behind him.

Panting, Link began pacing around, wondering if he was really losing it.

 _"Are you okay, man?"_

The teen covered his ears, thinking that the voice would go away if he did.

 _"What's wrong?"_

"St-Stop...t-talking to m-me," Link muttered, falling to the floor.

 _"Don't be scared."_

"B-Be...q-quiet, Mr. V-Voice," Link said, closing his eyes.

He was nearly in tears when he heard, "'Mr. Voice'? Who is that?"

"G-Go..." Link started.

He opened his eyes, looked up and saw a worried Oni. The young man bent down to his level and said, "Your mother heard you talking to yourself and told me to check up on you. Are you okay?"

Link turned away, not really wanting to talk to the stranger. Oni sighed and said, "I can't really help you if you don't say anything. And I know of your terrible stutter and I vow right now that I will not make fun of it."

The teen glanced back at the young man and muttered, "I-I th-think I'm l-losing it..."

"Hmm...need to see a psychiatrist or something?" Oni asked him.

"I-I already h-have one," Link told him.

"So I heard. But, if you don't really talk to him, then they can't really help you," Oni said.

Feeling that he could trust him, despite only meeting him two days ago, Link told the young man of the voice that he had started to hear that day. The voice sounded as if it wanted to speak with him, but the teen refused in fears that the voice was from something sinister. After telling him, Link saw Oni's furrowed brow.

"Hmm...Well, I guess you really are losing it. Maybe you should pray at the chapel for salvation from it or something," Oni said.

Link sighed, feeling that it was a bad idea to have told him.

"Is what I would say, but I've heard a bit about you. You, like me, have amnesia. So...maybe that voice you're hearing is actually a memory or memories trying to resurface," Oni added.

Link felt a bit relieved, seeing that the young man didn't think that he was crazy. Oni stood up and told him, "Maybe your memories will return to you soon. Hopefully, it'll be soon for me as well. I would really like to know where I came from and what my real name is."

The newcomer left the room and Link felt a bit better. But, he still had that same gut feeling that something terrible was about to transpire.

* * *

 _Well, happy new year to everyone, despite the new year happening ten days ago. It took a bit to write this chapter as I had a bit of a writer's block and other things that happened like work. Hopefully, this chapter came out good. So, without further ado, review anyone?_

 _-miano53_


	6. Chapter 6: Disturbing Shifts

_"Among those living in the light, interlopers who excelled at magic appeared. Wielding powerful sorcery, they tried to establish dominion over the Sacred Realm. It was then that the goddesses ordered us three light spirits to intervene. We sealed away the great magic those individuals had mastered. You know this magic...It is the dark power you seek...the Fused Shadow."_

 _-ancient Light Spirit, Lanayru_

Chapter Six: Disturbing Shifts

 _Eight years ago, Snowpeak Mountains, ravine..._

 _"AAH!"_

 _Oni, hearing a child's scream, stood up from his small campfire and looked east. It came from the direction near the ice caverns. Thinking the worse, the black-clad young man rushed towards the scream only to find a horrifying sight. A small boy lied motionless near a large boulder in the snow._

 _The boy's matted, blonde hair was soaked in red liquid that Oni could only suspect was blood. The nearby boulder had traces of it on it and the young man figured that the boy had hit his head. Oni came closer and noticed that the child was still breathing._

 _"He's still alive?" he asked himself._

 _Not wanting the boy to bleed out, Oni knelt down to the child's level and checked his head wound. Located at his forehead and looking rather horrible, the wound bled profusely. Oni tore a piece of his black cloak and wrapped the cloth as carefully as he could on the wound. He did that in the hope that the bleeding wound stop, since he had no healing items or abilities._

 _"He's over here!"_

 _Oni ran from the scene, not wanting to draw unwanted suspicion. He hid behind a pine tree far enough from the child, but close enough to see what would happen next. A group of people on horseback appeared with two small children. The silver armor they wore had Oni figure that they were knights, but he wondered where they came from._

 _"Link? Link!" a woman wearing silver armor over clothes of emerald hue screamed._

 _She jumped off her horse, grabbed the unconscious child and turned to her comrades. A man, with golden hair similar to the woman's, said to the woman, "Let me, Lydia. My horse can ride to the village faster."_

 _"Okay. Please hurry, Sigmund!" Lydia told him._

 _The man nodded, climbing onto his chocolate hued horse with the unconscious Link in tow. With a cry and a kick in the horse's sides, the knight took off. Once he was out of sight, one of the children asked, "Um, Mrs. Nodor...what was that on Link's head?"_

 _"I believe that someone tried to help him, Pipit," Lydia said to the child._

 _"Well, that's enough chatter for now. We must return to Aboda immediately," one of the older group members told her._

 _Lydia nodded, looking very worried. She climbed back onto her white horse and the party rode off, heading up the mountain._

 _After their departure, Oni came out of his hiding spot. He really hoped that the child would be okay. But, something bothered him._

 _Lydia and Sigmund, despite his never meeting them before, seemed familiar. He recognized their voices and a feeling of fear crept up in his heart._

* * *

A tall, pale-skinned, scantily clad teenage girl in all black stood in a dimly lit room, bowing before someone. Her long, red hair ran down to her back and obscured much of her face. Bowing next to her was another teen, wearing a blue and white leotard. Similar to the pale-skinned one, the lower part her face was obscured by a white mask. Blonde hair poked out from a white turban and red eyes stared at the person in front of the pair.

The ruby-eyed teens stood up straight after hearing the person sitting in darkness move. The figure, male, said to the girls, "Well, it seems that there's trouble stirring in the mountains."

"What kind of trouble? And why did you call us, milord?" the blue leotard-wearing teen asked.

"I was getting to that, Sheik! Now, as I was saying, this trouble is something that threatens to derail everything that the empire has worked hard for," the man said.

"Uh...like what?" the scantily clad teen asked.

The man was irate and yelled, "Midna, if you two would stop interrupting me, then I would be able to quickly answer your questions!"

The teen, Midna, shrugged her shoulders and the man continued.

"You two were about...Well, you two were just babies the last time bells large and small rang within the temples around the world...with no one there to ring them," the man said.

"Wait, what?" Sheik asked.

"I remember that day."

A man of imposing stature jumped from the ceiling, landing rather gracefully. He turned to Midna and Sheik, staring at them with his piercing, yellow eyes.

"Hi, Byrne," Midna said cordially.

"Hey..." Byrne muttered.

The trio turned back to their superior and the man obscured in darkness asked the newcomer, "Byrne, you were how old when those bells rang?"

"It was fifteen years ago and I was about six," Byrne replied.

"And you were living where?" the figure asked.

"I was living in the village of Lokomo, on the isle of Mercay in the southern seas of the empire," Byrne told him.

The figure seemed pleased and said, "Well, at least someone else remembers that dreaded day."

"Pardon me, but what was so 'dreaded' about that particular day? It was just bells ringing," Sheik asked.

"That was the day that the reincarnated, traitorous 'Kingslayer' was born. Whenever the man is reborn, bells in the many temples around the world begin to ring without the aid of the wind, people or even automatons," the figure told her.

Midna remembered the many tales she heard about him. Apparently, he betrayed the great saintess of the Twili, Princess Midna, by attacking her and going alone after the first Hyrulian Emperor, Ganondorf I. She tried to stop him, but he didn't listen and attacked the emperor and was killed for treason.

"But, why would he come back?" Midna asked her superior.

The man sighed and said, "Haven't you been paying attention in Lady Veran's classes? The 'Kingslayer's' spirit reincarnates throughout the ages, wishing to complete the task that was given to its original. But it usually can't as people like us and other forces stop him from destroying the empire."

"And if the empire's destroyed, we'll be out of jobs, the people will panic, civil war will rage and the apocalypse will be eminent," Byrne told Midna.

"So, your mission will be to destroy the reincarnation boy before he comes storming into Hyrule City, sword swinging. And you are to arrest any who would aid him," their superior said.

"Understood," Sheik and Byrne said, holding a hand to their hearts and bowing.

Midna felt a bit of worry as she had never thought her training was to assassinate someone she didn't know. Especially someone that was potentially innocent. She looked to Byrne and Sheik, but noticed their rather unconcerned expressions. Unnerved, the young Twili hoped that she wouldn't be the one to do the deed as she had personal reasons for taking up the assassination arts.

* * *

 _Aboda Village, Nodor household, attic..._

Oni jolted awake as he had a nightmare. He could barely remember it as what he had seen was mainly fuzzy. The only thing he could remember was the sounds of horrified screams and maniacal laughter.

Not wanting to return to sleep as he feared that the nightmares would return, Oni laid awake on his bed, looking up at the wooden ceiling. He then turned his attention to the rather small, but quaint crawlspace for a room. Ever since he was allowed to stay with the Nodor's, Oni began sprucing the attic space up, making it more suitable for sleeping.

He had sorted out the many small things that the Nodor's had placed up there for storage, putting books in one corner and several boxes in the other corners. The young man also found an empty dresser he could use, setting it up along the wall closest to the sole window in the room. Oni didn't really know what to do with it, as he only had that one set of clothes, the very clothes that he wore for gods-know-how-long.

A mattress served as his bed and a flimsy bedsheet provided covering. It did little to keep him from getting cold in the drafty room, but he thought it was better than sleeping outside in the snow. Next to his bed on the bare wood floor were the black boots that he had worn for as long as he could remember.

After taking in just how sparse his "room" was, Oni sighed, rubbed a hand in his jet black hair and began wondering about his past. He could never get anything from the many nightmares he had, only fuzzy images and the sounds of horrifying cackles. The only thing that he "remembered" was the name "Oni" and being called a "monster" by a Sheikah woman that attacked him a week ago.

He didn't get why she would call him that. He felt, Oni thought, that he was clearly a human being. The young man just couldn't remember which tribe he was from.

'With a name like "Oni", I could be a Sheikah...But I got black hair and white skin like a Twili, so...' he thought.

The sound of a loud thud snapped Oni out of his thoughts. Remembering that his room was above Link's, he could only think of the worse. With worry, the young man jumped out of bed, running down the stairs in bare feet and opening the door. As he did, he nearly hit one of Link's little sisters, Aryll.

"What's going on?" she yawned.

"I was about to ask you the same thing," Oni told her.

The duo spotted Link's bedroom door opening and Aryll tried to pull Oni out of her brother's line of sight. She couldn't get him to budge no matter how hard she tried to pull his arm.

'What the...?' Oni thought.

He saw Link stumble out of his room, looking around the hall in confusion. Aryll hid behind the dark-haired young man and peeked out from behind him.

"Um...L-Link...? Are you okay? W-we heard a loud bump," Aryll asked.

Link turned to them and Oni saw a dazed expression in his...gold eyes, almost as if he was lost. Oni thought that the color was odd, remembering that the boy usually had sky blue eyes.

In a small voice, Link asked the two, "Who...Who art thou?"

"What?" Aryll asked.

The dialect Link started speaking in was a strange one to Oni, yet it sounded familiar. Almost like a language he used to speak.

"Whither am I? How didst I cometh hither? Whither is this lodging?" Link asked, his accent changing with every word.

'Almost sounds like the old language...Uh...what?' Oni thought.

"Who...Who are you? Where's Link?" Aryll asked.

"How doth thee knoweth mine name? I nev'r toldeth thee mine name," Link said, sounding rather angry.

'Oh crud...This isn't going well,' Oni thought.

To break the tension, Oni replied with, "We are so sorry, sir. You look so much like her older brother that she blurted that out. And you kinda got his name too. Uh...um...so..."

Link stepped back and placed a hand on his forehead, as if pained. Moments later, he muttered in a clear, but not really in his voice, "What? What was that all about?"

Aryll's grip on Oni's arm became tighter and the young man could've sworn she was digging her nails into his skin.

"Um...Link? Is that you? The real you?" she asked.

Link turned his attention to the concerned duo and grinned. Oni figured that Link had recognized them and thought nothing of it. That it until Link said, "Um, I guess I should tell you that...um...my name's not Link. You've been calling me that for years."

"What...the...?" Oni started.

"What the heck are you talking about? Who are you?" Aryll yelled.

Her yelling awoke the entire household. Lydia's door opened, along with the doors to Aryll and Agitha's room and Granny Matilde's room. The other females of the home appeared, grumbling as their sleep cycle was interrupted.

"What is going on?" Lydia asked.

"Link's over here saying really weird stuff again! Like...Like...!" Aryll told her.

Annoyed as it was too early in the morning to question people, Lydia ordered for everyone to return to bed. They did, but before Oni could, Granny Matilde pulled him to the side. The old grandmother had a stern look in her eyes and asked him, "Did you see it?"

"Uh...See what, ma'am?" Oni asked her.

"You know. Seeing it happen once is enough to disturb the mind," Granny Matilde said.

Oni figured that she was talking about the sudden change in Link's behavior and speech patterns. It was...horrifying to see, as he had never seen someone's personality change that drastically and quickly. Or he couldn't really remember anyone doing that in front of him.

The old woman led him into the front room and the two sat on the couch. She sighed and said, "It's been like this for him since he was a child. He...had a falling accident when he was about seven, eight years old...Ever since, he has had a hard time remembering things before that age, a terrible stuttering problem and..."

"And...what?" Oni asked her.

"And...several personalities fighting for control of his mind..." Granny Matilde replied, face incredibly sad.

She looked away from the young man and said, "Lydia and Sigmund, my son and the father of my grandchildren, they blamed themselves for what happened. That guilt drove Sigmund to find a doctor outside of the mountains. He left the village with a small entourage, taking his beloved horse with him along with a small band of soldiers."

Tears formed in her eyes and she said in a near whisper, "Nearly a day later, we received word that Sigmund and his entire group had been attacked by monsters in the southern region of the ice caves. Lydia and many of the soldiers stationed here at the time rushed to his aid. But it was too late. The monsters had...massacred his entire unit..."

The old woman began to cry and Oni placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to give some comfort.

"When Link found out, his already fragile psyche shattered. He developed a persona that hated any outsiders that lived or came to the village. Whenever it appeared, he would look at the travelers who stopped here from time to time with disgust. He also began his attacks on the only Gerudo in this village, Groose. Before the accident and Sigmund's death, Link treated him like a brother," Granny Matilde told Oni through her sobs.

"But...aren't they still friends?" Oni asked.

The woman kept sobbing and replied, "It's not the same as it was before. It's more like Groose is very cautious around Link. I don't blame him. He's terrified of my grandson. It's the same with Link's other friends, Karane and Pipit. And poor Aryll and Agitha. Aryll grew very cautious and protective of Link since their father died. Agitha, however, she...she despises him. She tries to avoid her brother as much as she can, but...But I sense the dark fires of hate in her heart..."

Oni sighed, wondering how could things go so downhill for a person.

"They all used to be so close. But now, the majority of their conversations and activities with Link are done in caution. And they would constantly ask if he was 'in control' of himself," Granny Matilde added, sniffling as she calmed down.

Remembering what he had seen earlier, Oni asked her, "Well, Link...in that, er, 'mode'...seemed pretty friendly."

"That wasn't the one I was talking about. The one that you may have seen...calls itself 'Hasan'. The one I spoke of calls itself 'Bartholomew'," Granny Matilde said.

Oni was bewildered, not knowing that the guy really lost it. Afraid to ask, but did so anyone, Oni said, "Um...so...are there more?"

The old woman nodded and said, "I've seen another one. It calls itself 'Raven' and it is more...quiet and contemplating. And then you have others that calls themselves 'Link', but they are not the Link that we know."

"With all this you're telling me, I should probably be taking notes right about now," Oni said.

A small smile crossed the woman's face.

"Well, it would do no good as there is no paper or pens nearby. Just remember this, Link's others cause him to do or say things that he normally wouldn't do. If he's more aggressive, then that means Bartholomew's nearing the surface. If he's quieter than his usual, Raven is near. And if he's friendlier..." Granny Matilde started.

Oni got it and added, "Then that 'Hasan' is awake. Alright, I'll be careful then."

* * *

 _13 Nabooru 1015, 6th Era of Water..._

"Oni! ONI-ONI-ONI-ONI!"

The dark-haired young man woke up, only to yelp and fall off of his mattress at the sight of a panicked Aryll. Agitha was near the stairs and said, "Aryll's panicking because she saw Link tearing the wallpaper off of his bedroom walls."

"What? Uh, shouldn't you tell your mother about this?" Oni asked.

"She's not here!" Aryll yelled, standing at his bedside.

"What about your grandmother?" Oni asked.

"Not here either. Can you please get out of bed and not be a lazy bum? It's already midday," Agitha said, barely showing emotion.

He did as requested, putting on his boots as he was still dressed. After readying himself, Aryll grabbed his arm and pulled him downstairs. Agitha followed behind, muttering things about Link's sudden change in persona.

The trio arrived at Link's room and Aryll kicked the door open. The sight that greeted them was a strange one. Link hummed an odd tune to himself and proceeded to rip the old wallpaper of horses and rolling, grassy hills off of the walls, revealing whitewashed stone. When he noticed their presence, Link turned and grinned.

"Oh, hi!" he said, demeanor very friendly.

Remembering what Granny Matilde had told him, Oni cautiously asked the teen, "Link, if it is you, what are you doing?"

"Um...I'm taking off the wallpaper," Link, or what seemed like him, replied.

"But why?" Aryll asked.

"Link" continued to tear more of the wallpaper, not really wanting to answer the question. Agitha, as if knowing what was happening, said, "'Hasan', when did you wake up?"

Aryll was confused and turned to Agitha, asking, "Who's 'Hasan'?"

"Link" turned his attention back to the trio and replied with a rather heavy, Gerudo-esque accent, "My name is 'Hasan'."

"Wha...? No it's not! Your name's Link! Not some Gerudo name!" Aryll yelled.

Oni placed a hand on her shoulder and told her to calm herself. It didn't work, instead making her even more agitated. Agitha's nonchalant demeanor also added to Aryll's frustration.

"How can you guys be so calm at a time like this? Link's lost himself again and Granny and Mom are nowhere to be found! And...!" Aryll yelled.

"Hasan" rubbed the back of his neck and told her, "Eh, I'm sorry. I really don't know why I'm awake...again. But now that I'm awake, I can help out around here. Starting with this old wallpaper..."

He resumed his destruction of the ancient wallpaper. Aryll, not wanting to see it go, yelled, "No! Link likes that wallpaper! He'll get mad if it's gone!"

"Why?" "Hasan" asked her.

"Uh...because..." Aryll started.

Agitha shook her head and said, "The Link we knew would've gotten mad over it as he loved horses. The Link we know now could care less for it as he never kept up with it and his love for horses has waned greatly. The only horse that he's not terrified around is Epona."

"Yeah, but...That wallpaper can help bring back his memories," Aryll told her twin.

"Aryll, get over it. The Link we knew is gone, only to be replaced by the one we got now. So, why on the gods' snow-covered earth would you think that some crusty old wallpaper will bring him back?" Agitha asked very harshly.

Aryll couldn't answer her and Agitha continued her tirade.

"The old Link and his memories before the accident are gone, never to return. Just like Da...Link's gone, never to return. So, it's best that we forget everything we knew about him and accept how he is now: a stuttering, cowardly amnesiac that just so happens to have a personality disorder. And he'll never get his memories back, so stop hoping in it," Agitha said.

"But...he...still could...He still may have a chance to..." Aryll said, nearly in tears.

Agitha shook her head and yelled, "Still have a chance to do what? Get his memories back and be 'normal' again? Well, that's not going to happen. There's no miracle cure for it because our cowardly brother don't want to be cured! So, forget it, Aryll!"

Aryll burst into tears, running away and out of the home. Oni turned to the still fuming Agitha and told her, "That was really..."

"Shut it! You know nothing, Oni! And why are you still here anyway? You're supposed to be gone from this village!" Agitha yelled.

She ran into her room, slamming and locking it behind her. "Hasan" looked around and muttered, "Well, that was awkward. And loud..."

The alter ego was finished with his work and grinned. He clasped his hands together and said, "Now I need to get some paint. I kinda want tan and red...but..."

Oni was a bit disturbed by his behavior and asked, "Um...Who are you, really? I know that you're not Link."

"Hasan" smiled and said, "I really did say that my name's 'Hasan'. It means 'hero or warrior' in the desert nomad language."

"So, you're a 'desert nomad'?" Oni questioned, remembering that the Gerudo who lived in the western deserts of the empire and Samasa Desert of Holodrum called themselves that.

"Hasan" nodded and asked him, "Do you think that those colors would work?"

"Um, well I was thinking that you should change the room based on what Link would like. He is an avid fan of horses," Oni said, telling a half-truth.

"Hasan" nodded and yelled excitedly, "I got it!"

Moments later, he pushed Oni away and yelled, "Get out! Get out! Get out!"

"Wh-What? Why?" Oni asked.

"It's a surprise. So, out!" "Hasan" yelled.

He reentered Link's room, slamming the door shut. The sound of it locking was heard and Oni shrugged, going about his business.

* * *

 _Three days later, 16 Nabooru 1015, 6th Era of Water..._

"So, Link's been locked in his room for the past three days? With no food or water?" Link's friend, Pipit, asked.

The three friends of Link sat in the front room of the Nodor's home and listened intently to Aryll's plight. Also in attendance were Granny Matilde, Elder Sahasrahla, Elder Aginah, Lady Umma and Lydia. They spoke on the past few days' events and wondered why Link would lock himself in his room. As they did, Oni listened in from the house's kitchen, making a pot of stew.

"So no one's been able to get it?" Karane asked.

"No. He locked and barred his room shut. And he doesn't respond when you call out to him," Aryll cried.

Granny Matilde sighed loudly and said, "It is getting worse..."

"Almost as if the 'others' are fighting for complete control," Elder Aginah added.

"'Others'?" Pipit asked.

Groose was the one to reply, saying, "Well...uh...How do I explain...?"

"You'll do no such thing. Remembered what happened the last time you said something," Elder Aginah bellowed.

Agitha scoffed and said, "It's not like it'll change anything. Everyone in the village knows that there's something wrong with Link. That's why most of them avoid him like the plague."

"What do you mean?" Karane asked.

"No, Agitha!" Granny Matilde yelled.

Agitha seemed to have ignored them, due to malicious intent or lack of caring, Oni didn't know. She simply told the group, "Link has multiple personalities. He never had a bipolar disorder."

Silence filled the adjacent room and Oni could've sworn that the silence would've allowed for him to hear a pin drop. Moments later, the sounds of bewildered cries were heard.

"What?" Pipit yelled.

"He's a 'schizo'?" Karane asked.

"Schizophrenia has nothing to do with Link's mental state. He has 'dissociative identity disorder', meaning that the trauma of that fall and the loss of his memories were so great that he created 'others' to cope," Elder Sahasrahla explained.

Lydia, not convinced, asked her mother-in-law, "Are you all sure that he's just not...um...?"

"He's not demon-possessed, I can assure you," Elder Aginah replied.

"Are you sure? 'Cause that 'Bart' guy really hates me 'cause I'm Gerudo," Groose said.

"That would explain why Link would glare at me every time that 'demon' shows up. He probably thinks I'm Gerudo too," Karane said.

"But you're a Gerudo 'half-breed'," Agitha said.

Karane muttered darkly, "I reallly hate that term..."

"He's not possessed by the darkness. If he was, we would have to destroy him for the safety of our village," Elder Sahasrahla told everyone.

"And the 'others' aren't as racist or harbor hateful intent," Lady Umma aded.

Oni turned his attention back to the stew of reekfish, cheese and vegetables...to which he could've sworn he had eaten or at least helped someone make it before. It nearly boiled over and he used a wooden spoon to quickly stir the contents. Once it went back to its simmer, Oni listened once more as the group discussed Link's mental state.

"I'm afraid to ask, but...what are the other 'others'?" Karane asked.

"The first calls itself 'Raven' and it's very quiet, always thinking, and very soft spoken," Granny Matilde answered.

"The second 'other' is Bart and it's the violent, racist and really, REALLY mean one," Aryll added.

"The third is..." Agitha started.

The door to Link's room opened just as Oni had finished making the stew. Link, grinning widely, rushed to Oni's side and announced in a very child-like manner, "My business...is done!"

"Huh? Link?" the voice of Karane called out.

Oni took the pot off of the small, wood-fueled stove and entered the front room with Link, or what seemed to be a more friendly version of him, behind him. The group looked to Oni and quickly turned their attention to Link. Aryll was the first to ask, "Link, are you...?"

"I really thought I told you that Link's not my name. It's 'Hasan'," "Link", or "Hasan", told her.

Groose and Karane's eyes went wide and the Gerudo teen said, "Wait, 'Hasan'? Like the Hero of Koholint, 'Hasan Salamand'?"

"Who?" everyone, with the exception of "Hasan" and the elders, asked.

"Hasan" shrugged and Oni thought that maybe the persona had amnesia. Elder Sahasrahla furrowed his brow and muttered, "It is as I feared. Elder Matilde, Aginah and Umma, gather the elders for an emergency meeting."

He left the home and was followed by Elder Aginah and Lady Umma. Granny Matilde turned to the others and said, "I'll see you all in a little bit."

The old woman took her leave and "Hasan" took the liberty to announce again about his masterpiece. Lydia wasn't having it and yelled, holding out a small trinket with a triangle pendant hanging from it, "Leave my son's body now, demon!"

She put the pendant at his forehead and "Hasan" stared at her, seemingly confused.

"Uh...What?" he asked.

"Don't play dumb! Get out of my son's head now!" she yelled.

"Uh...Mom...I don't think..." Aryll started.

Lydia shushed her and Oni thought that the scene was very odd. He didn't really know if such things existed, due to his amnesia. But, he wouldn't be surprise if they did, due to what he could remember on the nature of their world.

"Hasan" grabbed the pendant, causing for Link's mother to stumble back. He smiled and told her, "I know what this is. It's the 'Triforce', right?"

Lydia nodded slowly and the alter-ego tossed the necklace back to her.

"Anyway, I really want to show you guys what I did! C'mon!" "Hasan" said, grabbing Karane's arm and leading her to the back.

The others, out of fear, followed behind. Oni did the same and his jaw dropped at the sight of Link's room.

Since "Hasan" had ripped all the wallpaper off the bedroom's walls, he took the liberty in painting them. What he had painted were the images of a castle, mountains, grassy plains and people that oddly looked like knights wearing green and riding on horseback. On the ceiling was the images of a blue sky, clouds and the sun. In its center was of the Triforce.

Shocked, Lydia asked, "You...did all this?"

"Uh huh!" "Hasan" said, very proud of himself.

"Where did you get all the paint, man?" Groose asked.

"I bought it," "Hasan" answered.

"With what money?" Agitha asked.

"With 'Ravio's' money. It was a bag of rupees he hid under the bed," "Hasan" stated plainly.

With that, everyone became suspicious of the persona and stared.

"What?" he asked.

"Who's 'Ravio'?" Lydia asked.

"Oh. I just learned about him two days ago. He wrote about himself in this," "Hasan" said, going to Link's desk and pulling out a journal. Lydia snatched it out of his hands and read one of the passages. Her hands had started to tremble and she passed the book off to Agitha.

Not paying any attention, "Hasan" asked, "Do you think that Link'll like it? If he likes horses that much, then he should like those medieval battle scenes and stuff in those old storybooks."

Aryll gave a weak smile and told him, "Yes. He'll like it. I'm sure of it."

The persona suddenly became very tired and said, "I...really hope so. I...put...three days of work...into...it."

He collapsed in the girl's arms and nearly knocked her over. Disturbed, Pipit elected to go. Karane seconded the motion and Groose led the two out. Moments later, Link jolted awake and glanced around in fright.

The somewhat mute teen's attention turned to the painted images on the walls and asked, "W-What...i-is th-this?"

"Uh...should we tell him?" Oni asked Lydia.

The woman gave no reply, leaving immediately after the question was asked. Agitha, however, said, "I knew something like this was going to happen."

"No you didn't," Aryll retorted.

"Yes I did. I knew that sooner or later one of those 'others' was going to do something like this. Pretty soon, Link really won't be himself anymore," Agitha said, her outlook being very dreary.

That irked Aryll to her core and she bellowed, "Why do you always do that?"

"Do what?" Agitha asked.

"You always find a way to see the worst in a situation. You claim that you're just being a stoic, but you're just a 'Debbie Downer'!" Aryll yelled.

"Well, it's not my fault that I prefer to see the reality of situations instead of being in constant denial!" Agitha retorted.

"I'm not in denial! I just like seeing the light at the end of the tunnel," Aryll said.

Her twin scoffed and came back with, "No, you're just a horrifically misguided idealist. Never seeing what's really going on and are totally out of touch with reality."

Aryll's jaw dropped at her sister's words.

"At least I'm not a stupid, hateful pessimist..." Aryll muttered.

She released Link, who fell to the floor after losing his support, and ran to her room in tears. Oni turned to Agitha and was going to say something when she yelled, "Don't say anything! Just...don't!"

She also ran off, leaving the house and dropping Link's journal in the process. The house shook as she slammed the door behind herself in what felt like anger. Confused, Link turned to Oni and asked, "Wh-What...What...is g-going on?"

Oni didn't know what to say. He had just came face to face with one of the "others" and didn't really know how he should respond. He thought to just come out and say what had happened those past three days. But, if he did, then it could cause further harm to Link's psyche. On the other hand, if Link found out during a critical moment, he could become totally unstable. Seeing the situation as a lose-lose one, Oni picked up the journal off the ground and handed it to Link.

The teen snatched it up and looked as if his personal space had been invaded, to which it was. Getting an idea, Oni told him, "We know about what is in that journal."

"W-We?" Link asked.

"Yes. Your mother, sisters, grandmother, friends, some of the village elders and myself...We know about those...'others', the other 'people' that have been writing in the journal," Oni said, telling a bit of a fib as he had never read any of the passages.

"'O-Others'? L-Like w-what G-Groose had s-s-said?" Link asked.

'He told him about...?' Oni thought.

Link told him as best as he could through his constant stutters about how he had heard from Groose that one of the "others" called itself "Bartholomew". He also heard that the persona was very rude, saying things that Link would never say and was aggressive towards others, especially towards Groose. After he was finished, Oni continued with his original idea. He just wasn't sure if it was a good or a bad one.

"Hmm...Maybe you should leave notes around your room to tell your 'others' on what to do regarding certain...situations," Oni told him.

Link listened intently, as if the young man's words would bring a cure to his fractured mind.

"Just put some notes on your walls or something, telling them what you're thinking at the time or what you want them to do. For example, you can thank Mr. 'Hasan' for this mural or you can tell that 'Bartholomew' to calm down with the blantant racism," Oni told him.

Link nodded, agreeing with Oni. Seeing that his words were received, the young man left Link to his own devices. But, he couldn't help but feel that what he had said would come back to haunt him in the future. He really, really hoped that that wouldn't be the case.

* * *

 _So, Link officially knows about his other selves. Will Oni's words come back to truly haunt him? Or will what he said help Link in the long run? Will Aryll and Agitha ever reconcile? And just what are the elders worried about? Stay tuned and review._

 _-miano53_


	7. Chapter 7: Loss

_Thanks to DarkKeybladePhantomofTime for their review. And from a bit of inspiration from Youtuber, LaGuardia Cross and his daughter, there will be a bit of a "New Father Chronicles" reference, for lightheartedness in this rather dreary chapter._

 _Update 1-5-2017: I've been updating and revising chapters one through seven of this fic and will make a total revamp of all the others. I really didn't like the direction the fic was going and it didn't feel like it flowed well. That and I put poor Link through way too much mentally...So, without further ado, here's the revised chapter seven that still focuses on Ganondorf and co._

 _-miano53_

* * *

 _"My country lay within a vast desert. When the sun rose into the sky, a burning wind punished my lands, searing the world. And when the moon climbed into the dark of night, a frigid gale pierced our homes. No matter when it came, the wind carried the same thing... Death. But the winds that blew across the green fields of Hyrule brought something other than suffering and ruin. I coveted that wind, I suppose."_

 _"So, was that the reason for your family's ascension to the throne?"_

 _"If that's what makes you comfortable, then yes."_

 _-an interview with Ganondorf Dragmire I, the first Hyrulian Emperor_

Chapter Seven: A Great Loss

 _"Why did you chose to stay, Aveil?" Ganondorf asked._

 _After declaring himself emperor, the Gerudo was surprised that he would have women that agreed to become suitors. A few weeks passed and his decision on a wife and mate was made. Out of the many women who agreed, mainly out of fear that he would hurt their families if they refused, the Demon King chose a woman that was found wandering Gerudo Desert. He was a bit shocked to learn that she was a full-blooded Gerudo, due to Hyrule Kingdom having what he considered "half-breeds", like the bar owner named Telma in the southern part of the city._

 _"To be honest, I was attracted to the fame, fortune and power," Aveil told him._

 _Ganondorf was attracted to the malice he felt in the woman's heart. Her malice and hatred for many things could be useful in the future, he thought. And there was her beauty that was enhanced by her garnet-hued hair, piercing hazel eyes and near chocolate-colored skin, to which he was also attracted to._

 _"Hmm...You know that if you follow me, you won't be returning to the path of light. You will be a target for assassins, would-be Heroes and the resistance. If we have offspring, they will target them as well, all just to get to me. Are you sure that you want this? All for power, fortune and fame?" Ganondorf told her, testing her resolve._

 _Aveil nodded, saying, "I have nothing else to go back to. Not after what those would-be knights did to my family..."_

 _"So, this is all for revenge then," Ganondorf said, smiling._

 _"Yes. I don't care what happens to me...as long as I can get vengeance on those Hylians..." Aveil told him._

* * *

 _Sixteen years ago, Hylia City, North Palace, kitchen..._

 _"Okay, why do you refuse to sleep through the night," a younger Emperor Ganondorf VIII asked his toddler daughter._

 _The girl, named Din, after the goddess of power, stared at him and grinned. She began dancing in her wooden hi-chair and the man asked again, "Please, tell me why you don't like sleeping through the night. Why must you keep your mother, me and then entire palace awake?"_

 _Through his use of Spirit magic and the many grunts and giggles of the girl, Ganondorf sensed she was saying, "Why would I stop using my greatest weapon? My crying and screaming controls you and Mommy. Would it be a form of bullying? I don't think so. It's a form of power! POWAH, I SAY!"_

 _Ganondorf was disturbed and he muttered, "You didn't get that from me."_

 _Din laughed and slammed her hands onto the tray in front of her. She, through babbles, declared that she wanted food. She kept slamming her hands onto the tray and the man sighed._

 _"Seriously, my wife gave birth to a dictator..." he mumbled._

 _He remembered when the toddler was introduced to snow. The family went into the palace's central courtyard as it was the safest place to take their only child. After placing Din on the ground, she grunted and was very excited to see it, toddling off into the snowy area. The only thing that Ganondorf could translate her grunts was, "a whole bunch of cold, white stuff". He had to stop the introductions as Din found a patch of yellow snow and he knew that it would be a bad idea to leave her to her own devices._

 _As if knowing what he was thinking, Din began grunting and growling, trying to speak._

 _Ganondorf looked at her and sensed she was trying to say, "I wanted to have all the 'white, cold stuff'! It was gonna be my 'kingdom of white'! I loved the texture! Why did you two wait so long to show me the 'white stuff'? When I get older, I won't share none of the 'white stuff' with you!"_

 _"'Heika', why is the princess thinking that?"_

 _The Gerudo nearly jumped as the Sheikah, Impa, appeared. She had the same disturbed expression on her face and Ganondorf told her, "She didn't get it from me."_

 _"Are you sure?" Impa asked._

 _"Very. Just because I'm named after that crazed man doesn't mean that I'm the same as him," the man said, becoming sensitive as topics such as his daughter's odd behavior usually strayed to his ancestor, the first Hyrulian Emperor._

 _The first emperor was nicknamed the "Demon King" by many who held hatred for the empire due to his ruthless tactics in quelling rebellion and the overall evil aura he was said to have produced. Since he was unfortunately named after him, there were those who thought that he may have been the "Demon King" reborn. He didn't want to be compared to his crazed ancestor and vowed to do all that he could to restore the Dragmire family name back to good standing._

 _"I'm sorry, 'Heika'. I didn't mean..." Impa told him._

 _"It's alright. I shouldn't have...I'm just...used to people thinking that I am the same as my ancestors. I'm not evil, am I?" Ganondorf said._

 _"Well, you haven't exhibited any evil-like traits. In fact, you've been quite benevolent since inheriting the throne two years ago," Impa told him._

 _The man found a bit of solace in her words, but knew that the solace wasn't going to last. Before he could wallow in melancholy, Din tossed her shoe at him. He dodged and wondered how she took it off._

 _"Well, I can say for certain that the girl is very smart," Impa said to him._

 _Wondering why the Sheikah woman was there, Ganondorf asked her, "So, is that all you're here for?"_

 _"No. I was here to tell you that the knights from the Nodor clan are here," Impa said._

 _The man grinned as he was very happy that his old friends had taken up his invitation. He grabbed Din, taking out of her chair, and told Impa, "Have them meet me in my guest room."_

 _"Yes sir," Impa said, disappearing into the shadows._

 _Din stared at her father, as if to say, "Who're they?"_

 _"Ah, Lydia and Sigmund Nodor. They're old friends of mine from the last war. They fought alongside me during our final battles with the Labrynnans. Needless to say, they're old war buddies," Ganondorf said._

 _Din could only babble, "Huh?"_

 _"You'll understand when you're older," her father said._

 _"Huh?" baby Din asked._

 _"You heard me," Ganondorf told her._

 _"Wha...?" the baby babbled, grinning._

 _Ganondorf grumbled and said, "Quiet you."_

 _Year 1015, 7th month of Nabooru of the 6_ _th_ _Era of Water, North Palace, graveyard..._

* * *

" _Heika_? _Heika?_ Ganondorf- _sama._ "

His Imperial Majesty, Ganondorf Dragmire VIII, kept his stare at two graves. One was of his deceased first wife, Lady Jamilah. The other was of his firstborn, Princess Din. As he stood motionless, the head of his bodyguards, Impa Kaji, appeared from the shadows. She turned to the two graves and said, "I still remember that day. I failed that day as a guardian..."

"It's not your fault. I don't think anyone would've known what was going to happen," Ganondorf told her.

"Yes, but I should've known that my mentor was planning that. I was raised by Yosuke- _sama..._ Then he betrayed us...I should've caught it...Then Jamilah- _hime_..." Impa said.

The man shook his head and said, "We couldn't prevent what the traitor did. But...I believe there's a way to bring them back."

"What?" Impa asked.

Ganondorf turned to her and asked, "You know of the Triforce, yes?"

Impa nodded and replied with, "Everyone in my tribe knows the about the fabled relic."

"Yes. Well, from what I remember from the legends, the trinity of Golden Relics, when brought together, can grant any wish. The first of the relics is the Triforce of Power. It used to run in my family, until my grandfather did something with it and it's been lost for years."

"The second is the Triforce of Wisdom. The rulers of the previous dynasty had it and all contact with them have been lost. I wonder if they've been wiped out..."

"The last of the relics is the Triforce of Courage. It's said that the reincarnations of the 'Kingslayer' always carried it within him..." Ganondorf said.

Impa frowned and said, "I know all about the relics. How to find them, I do not know."

"Well, I want them found. We find the relics and just simply ask for the revival of the empress and my child," Ganondorf said.

Impa nodded and told her ward, "I'll begin research into what happened with the Triforce of Power. I do not want to believe the rumors, but..."

"But what?" the man asked her.

"But I heard that your grandfather, not wanting to share the power of the relic, had it buried with him...in Death Valley," Impa replied.

Ganondorf remembered hearing tales the burial place of his long-lived grandfather, Gandall IV. It was in the southern expanse of Gerudo Desert, near the border to Holodrum and its desert of Samasa. The valley, originally called the "Valley of Kings", turned into a very dangerous place after the former ruler was buried nearly 120 years ago.

Lava pits appeared in the chasm that served as the burial place for Gerudo rulers and powerful monsters began roaming the area. Even the grand palace that the 104-year-old was buried in turned into a nest of evil and no one dared enter the place. Well, people have tried before, but Ganondorf remembered that the group of Twili was never heard from again.

"Hmm...I wonder if it would be possible to enter the valley..." he muttered.

"Did you say something, _Heika_?" Impa asked him.

"It's nothing. Gather a small group of your Sheikah and investigate any possible means of entering the valley. Also, we need to find where the other two Triforces are. I want the group to be small as I do not want Lady Nadala to find out," Ganondorf said.

Impa looked confused and asked him, "You really don't want your sister to...?"

"No. If she does, she'll spew out her 'voodoo' and 'evil curses' rant to me. I would rather not risk that," Ganondorf said.

"Alright, I'll do as you ask, _Heika_ ," Impa said, disappearing into the shadows.

* * *

 _Ten years ago, North Palace, Hylia City..._

 _"Your Majesty! Stay inside!" a guard captain yelled._

 _Ganondorf, in his private dining room, stood up and asked, "What is going on?"_

 _He heard an explosion and his guards begged that he would stay in the room._

 _"What IS GOING ON?" the man yelled._

 _One of the soldier's bowed and said, "We very sorry. Lord Yosuke's staging an insurrection. Lady Impa has taken the empress and princess to the safe zones in the palace. So please, stay in here."_

 _Ganondorf was shocked that one of his most loyal retainer's, Yosuke Sasanuma, would turn traitor. He knew how powerful the Sheikah was, as many had mentioned that the man was supposedly a sage. Remembering that and knowing that the troops guarding his wife and child would be in danger, Ganondorf grabbed his twin scimitars and headed for the door._

 _"Your Majesty! What are you doing?" one soldier asked._

 _"I will not let a traitor run wild through my palace. Step aside," Ganondorf told him._

 _The group of ten looked at each other, unsure of what to do._

 _"I said move," the emperor bellowed._

 _"We really can't...!" another said just as another explosion ripped through the place._

 _The door to the dining hall had been blown off and engulfed in purple flames. Ganondorf was sent flying into the table, breaking it in two. Dazed, the Gerudo looked up and saw the snow white-haired Sheikah, Yosuke._

 _He was armed with a long, thin knife called a kodachi and he had madness in his eyes. Ganondorf, weakened and injured from the blast, started backing away as best as he could. The Gerudo, through panicked glances, saw that all of his guards had been wiped out from the explosion. He figured that help wouldn't come and started contemplating about his life's direction._

 _The seemingly crazed Sheikah grabbed the emperor's neck and easily lifted him off the ground, despite the man being quite heavy from his great muscle mass. Lord Yosuke then told his former master, "I will not allow for the Dark King to return! Never again!"_

 _'What is he talking about?' the Gerudo emperor thought._

 _"Goodbye," Yosuke said, swinging his knife hand toward's the emperor's jugular._

 _Ganondorf immediately accepted death and closed his eyes for the inevitable, not seeing any way out of the situation. Just before the knife could make contact, the man heard an odd grunt. He opened his hazel eyes, saw Yosuke's lifeless ones and the Sheikah dropped him. Ganondorf stopped himself from gasping as he saw a sword black as night protruding from the traitor's chest._

 _"Heh-heh-heh..."_

 _Yosuke's head dropped and the man's lifeless body was tossed aside like a rag doll. Ganondorf's eyes widened as his savior was nothing but a child. The silver-haired boy turned to the man and said, "That was fun. I didn't think it would be this easy."_

 _"What?" the Gerudo asked, disturbed by the child's rather happy demeanor._

 _"Ghirahim! Wait! Oh...you killed him already..." another child, this one a girl with azure hair, said as she barreled into the room._

 _The children wore clothing that would indicate their being Twili orphans. He had heard that Impa had found children recently that were trying to break into the palace. She had pity on them and refused to execute them for trepassing, allowing them to stay in the palace with the other orphans. The azure-haired one rushed to the emperor's side and asked, "Are you okay?"_

 _"He's on the floor bloody, Fi. I'm sure he's not," the boy, Ghirahim, said._

 _The girl, Fi, handed him a potion and the man drunk the red contents. After downing it, another young child, this time a Sheikah, rushed in and said, "Heika! Please hurry!"_

 _"What...?" Ganondorf tried to say._

 _The next thing he knew, the children helped him up and halfway dragged him to the other side of the palace. As they ran, he could see those among the casualties in the ruined halls, many of them being a part of the Hylian Knights. A few of them were Sheikah and some were children. The sight was disturbing and Ganondorf wondered what provoked Yosuke to turn traitor._

 _The Sheikah girl stopped in front of the damaged doors of Lady Jamilah's residence. Ganondorf trembled as he slowly entered the fire-damaged chambers..._


	8. Chapter 8: Revelation

_For those reading this fic, give Moonlight97's fic, "Legend of Zelda II: Guardians of the Binding Force", a chance. It's pretty good as it's a POV of Link during Zelda II._

 _-miano53_

* * *

 _"I don't have time to coddle would-be heroes. But since you insist...I will oblige."_

 _-ancient wizard, Yuga_

Chapter Eight: Revelation

 _"Why? Why does this have to happen...?" Dame Lydia cried._

 _Aryll watched as her mother cried into a pillow in her bedroom. She remembered hearing that something bad had happened to her father but nothing more. Agitha, just as worried as she was, watched as their mother was inconsolable. Their grandmother and a few of the female elders stood outside the bedroom with them and muttered prayers under their breath._

 _Link was in his room, rocking back and forth on his bed. He held his head in pain and whimpered. Aryll began crying as what was going on was terrifying._

 _Her father was gone. Her brother had amnesia brought on by his irreversable brain damage and refused to speak most of the time. Her mother was crying and she didn't know what else was going to happen._

 _"It's going to be okay, girls," Granny Matilde said, hugging the twins._

 _"What's going to happen to us now...?" Aryll asked._

 _"I don't know. But we'll trust in the gods to see us through this..." Granny Matilde told her._

 _"I don't think they'll help us because we're cursed..." Agitha sniffled._

 _"Who told you that?" Granny Matilde asked._

 _Aryll responded with, "The kids at school and some of the adults. They said that Link brought a curse on us by climbing the mountain and disturbing the mountain spirits by being 'disopiedent.'"_

 _"What? Why would they say that?" their grandmother asked._

* * *

 _17 Nabooru 1015, Nodor Household, Aryll and Agitha's room, midnight..._

Aryll woke up from a nightmare and nearly released a scream. Unlike other ones, the dream was the memory of the day her father passed on. Not able to sleep, but unwilling to talk to her twin about it, Aryll lied on her bed in the top bunk and stared at the white ceiling.

The room itself was dim as a single gas lamp was lit, mainly to help Aryll sleep at night. It was also very cold as there was a blizzard howling outside. Due to the drafts in the room, she was cold and wrapped herself in three blankets.

'Why did it have to happen? I wonder...if Dad was still around...would Link...? Would Link be better off?' Aryll thought.

A clang was heard and Aryll jumped. She heard Agitha stir, but her sister didn't wake up. Wanting to know what was going on, the girl quietly got out of bed and tiptoed to her bedroom door. She cracked it open and saw the door to the attic creak open.

She exited the room, closing the door behind her and saw Oni leaving. He heard her coming from behind and asked, "Can't sleep either?"

"No...Um...was that you?" she asked.

Oni shook his head and the two heard muttering coming from the kitchen. It was very angry sounding and Aryll grabbed Oni's arm.

"What is going on?"

The two jumped, turning to see Granny Matilde. She had sleep in her eyes and asked them again, "What is going on?"

"I don't know. I asked Oni. He said he hasn't a clue," Aryll told her.

"I just woke up, ma'am..." Oni said.

The trio heard another angry mutter and another crash. Granny Matilde walked into the kitchen, turned on one of the gas lamps and gasped. Aryll and Oni entered and the girl gasped as she saw Link in the kitchen, tossing bottles and other things onto the floor. He had a frustrated expression on his face and Granny Matilde asked, "What are you doing, son?"

Aryll was afraid that a certain persona was "awake". Link turned to her with anger and asked, "What?"

"Not you again..." Granny Matilde asked.

Oni nudged Aryll and muttered, "So, is this...?"

She nodded and said, "That would be 'Bartholomew'..."

"Bartholomew" looked at Oni and asked, "Who're you?"

In a cordial manner, Oni offered his hand in friendship and said, "Ah! I'm Oni. I've been a houseguest and somewhat a servant to Mrs. Nodor."

"Bartholomew" scoffed and said, "Now you got Twili here? I can't believe this..."

Oni was offended and asked, "What is wrong with being a Twili?"

"Bartholomew" was about to answer when Granny Matilde interrupted, asking, "What are you doing?"

"Don't you have anything else to drink but hot spring water and milk?" "Bartholomew" asked, sounding very frustrated.

"We have tea," Granny Matilde said, sounding rather calm.

"Why did you throw those bottles on the floor?" Aryll asked.

"Bartholomew" rolled his eyes and Granny Matilde ordered for the girl and newly appointed household servant to return to bed. Aryll was confused, but did as she was told.

* * *

 _"Aryll, are you coming over later?" one of her classmates had asked._

 _Aryll turned to her and then to Agitha. She muttered to her twin, "Do you think it's a good idea?"_

 _"We understand if you can because of your brother," the second of their classmates told them._

 _"What do you mean by that?" Agitha asked._

 _"Well, ever since...y'know...that day..." a third started._

 _Aryll frowned up and said, "Yeah? So?"_

 _"He's been really weird! And my dad said that we should stay far, FAR away from him," the fourth told them._

 _"He's not weird!" Aryll yelled._

 _Agitha silenced her and told the four, "Well, you would drastically change too if you lost all your memory from a climbing accident."_

 _"We...We didn't mean..." they said._

 _"Yes you did. You find Link weird now and you think of him as a bad omen. I can see it in your expression," she told them._

 _Agitha left, heading for home. Aryll followed and knew that those girls were no longer their friends._

 _'First I lose the brother I knew. Then my father. Now, my friends...Why? Why is this happening?' Aryll thought._

* * *

 _Later that morning..._

Sad and not motivated to do anything, Aryll sat on the couch, holding a half-eaten bowl of oatmeal. She barely ate anything and wasn't in the mood for talking as she remembered that the day was the day her father had died...trying to get to the capital to find a better doctor. He had taken a retinue of soldiers from the village and headed east, towards the capital. On that day, he was ambushed by monsters within the ice caves and was killed.

She remembered the day of the funeral, which was nearly a week after his demise. Everyone was in tears, save for Link as he didn't remember the man. Certain members of the village found it a great offence, not taking into account that the boy had amnesia. After a lengthy ceremony, her father was cremated and his ashes scattered to the winds. To keep his existence known, there was a gravemarker in the village's graveyard near the chapel.

Her mother, Agitha, and Granny Matilde left, heading for the graveyard. Oni headed for the village's market, wanting to get more stuff. Link, however, did not leave his room, not even for breakfast.

Aryll figured that he was tired, after what had happened early that morning. Going back to her melancholic state, she thought of her father and how he would be the one to keep everyone's spirits up. Her mother would often tell her that her optimism was a reminder of Aryll's father.

Depressed, Aryll burst into tears. She sobbed loudly, laying her head on the arm rest. As she did, the girl didn't feel any better. Instead, she felt worse.

"What are you crying for?"

Aryll looked in the direction of the voice and saw Link, or what seemed like him, standing at the side of the couch. He had an annoyed expression on his face and Aryll said sadly, "I'm not in the mood to deal, Mr. 'Bart'...So, go away...Go back to sleep or something."

The persona wasn't having it. He walked to the front of the furniture and found a space to sit. He plopped himself onto it and Aryll began scooting away.

"Go away..." she said.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to do anything," the alter ego told her.

She didn't know if she could trust him, as she only saw the "Bart" persona a few times since it spawned. Aryll, scared, asked, "Um...are you...?"

"'Bartholomew'? Yes. Now, why were you crying?" the persona asked.

Aryll turned away, not wanting to say anything. "Bartholomew" gave an annoyed grunt and said, "All those times that you talk, you choose now to be quiet?"

"Hey! I have a reason to!" Aryll yelled.

He looked surprised at her outburst and Aryll continued her rant.

"I'm...I'm tired! I'm tired of all this! First my brother falls and gets brain damage! Then my dad dies! Then I lose all my friends! Then everyone started thinking my brother's cursed! Then you and those 'others' showed up in my brother's head! And...And...!" Aryll cried loudly.

She began to hyperventilate, trying to get air in as she wailed. She managed to say, "I...I want you to go away! All of you weird 'others'...GO AWAY! Leave and make Link normal again!"

Aryll sobbed became uncontrollable and she could say no more. "Bartholomew" took the bowl that she had in her hands, placed it on the floor and did something that the girl didn't expect. He took her and hugged her.

The girl thought his action was odd, but could barely ponder on it as her sobs kept coming. She buried her face in his chest and began wetting Link's shirt with her tears.

With a sigh, "Bartholomew" told her in a rather calmer than his usual voice, "I'm sorry, but I can't leave. I don't know how...and...I'm sure that the kid'll fall to pieces if I do."

Aryll stopped and looked up at the alter ego. He had turned away and an expression of guilt was on his face. He released her and Aryll wiped her face with her sleeve. "Bartholomew" kept silent and Aryll figured that it was a prime time to ask a very important question.

"Um...'Bart'..." Aryll started, sniffling.

"It's 'Bartholomew'," he said.

"Um...Why...Why are you so mean to Groose? And to Karane? And now to Oni? Why are you so...?" Aryll asked.

"'Racist'? A 'jerk'? Is that you wanted to say?" "Bartholomew" asked.

Aryll nodded and the alter ego sighed.

"I...uh...I don't..." he started.

The door opened and the Nodor women entered. Lydia was shocked to see the two on the couch and asked, "Ah, what have you guys been up too?"

"We were just..." Aryll started.

"Old crone..." "Bartholomew" said.

He turned to Granny Matilde, who began glaring at him. Lydia was shocked at what he said and Agitha shook her head, saying, "Not again..."

"What?" Granny Matilde asked.

"Bartholomew" stood up and the women backed away. Granny Matilde held what looked like a rosary in her hands and the alter ego asked, "You know more that what you've been telling them, don't you?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Granny Matilde said.

"You do. You know what's really going on. Like why I can't go home or why those 'others' appeared," "Bartholomew" said.

The elderly woman was surprised and asked, "How do you know of...?"

"Those notes left around the kid's room...and what Aryll said while she was crying," "Bartholomew" said.

Granny Matilde looked to Aryll and the girl was felt a bit guilty.

"Don't blame her. I managed to figure it out before she said something," "Bartholomew" said.

Granny Matilde sighed and said, "I guess it's time then."

"Time for what?" Agitha asked.

"Follow me, please," the old woman said, turning to Link's alter ego.

He nodded and followed her out of the home. Aryll, Agitha and Lydia joined them and the girl noticed that they were heading for the chapel. As they passed through the village, she also saw the odd stares of the populace, as if they knew something was very off with Link.

Once at the chapel, the doors opened on their own and the family entered the dim house of worship. Aryll saw that the few priests were doing their morning prayers and rituals. Granny Matilde cleared her throat and the priests stopped whatever they were doing and turned to face the family.

"It's time," the old woman told them.

Their eyes lit up and "Bartholomew" asked rather rudely, "Time for what, old crone?"

"Quiet..." Granny Matilde told him.

"Ah, I see that one of the 'others' is awake."

Elder Sahasrahla appeared, along with five of the other elders that included Lady Umma and Elder Aginah. They bade them to come with them, to which they did, entering a hidden chamber behind the altar. The chamber was empty, lit only by torches, and having a staircase that led downward.

Elder Aginah took a torch and said to everyone, "What you see down here, do not tell to anyone. If anyone was to know, then the world will surely fall to the darkness."

"Just get on with it already," "Bartholomew" said.

Everyone gave the alter ego an annoyed glance and Elder Aginah led the group into the lower chamber. There, Aryll gasped as she saw a giant magical circle in the room's center. Along the walls were small statues of different men, each of differing cultures...but with the same face. And that face was Link's face.

The stone statuettes were in small indents in the walls and candles were lit near them. Flowers were also placed near a few of them and Aryll wondered what they were.

"These are statues of the various incarnations...of the Hero. Each have appeared in this chapel since its construction nearly 900 years ago. But this collection is a small fraction of what is said to be in special...sanctuaries around the world," Elder Sahasrahla said.

"Bartholomew" nodded and said, "Now tell the kid what's really going on."

He passed out, stumbling as he nearly fell to the floor. Moments later, Link's eyes opened and he looked around in fear.

"W-What...? Wh-where am I?" he asked.

"You're in a special room, one that only you can use," Elder Aginah said.

Link was confused and the elders sat in a circle, surrounding the magical one. Her brother was told to sit in the middle of it and he did. Aryll didn't get it and was worried. Agitha's face was that of least concern and Aryll didn't appreciate it.

"O-O-Only m-me?" Link asked.

The seven elders nodded and he asked why. Elder Sahasrahla was about answer when Agitha said, "Apparently, they believe that you're the Hero reborn, right?"

Link's face fell and Aryll wasn't too shocked. She started connecting the dots after looking at the statues and remembering seeing the image of the Holy Relic on Link's left hand. Her thoughts were interrupted as Link began stammering even more than usual.

"Wh-What? I-I-I'm n-not a H-Hero o-or any-anything. I-I..." Link said, looking absolutely terrified.

Granny Matilde grabbed his left hand and removed the ragged, open-fingered glove covering it. She looked at it and said, "I knew it. It's glowing."

The elders took their looks at it and nodded in approval. Granny Matilde took Link's other hand and removed the glove. She pulled up a bit of his sleeve and said, "And now the Mark of Farore should've appeared on his right wrist."

There was indeed a mark on his wrist. The mark of Farore was in the shape of a crescent moon and circle right above it, almost like the crescent moon was "eating" it. It was dark green in color and gave a weak glow, similar to the Triforce mark on Link's left hand.

Link pulled his arms back and said, "S-So? Any-Any-Anyone c-c-could have th-these marks."

"Actually, not just anyone could have them. The Hero is said to have the mark of Farore on his body, mainly on his upper body. Even when he is reincarnated as a 'Lesser Hero', he still has the mark," Elder Aginah explained.

"B-B-But...w-why me?" Link asked.

"Because you need to fulfill your purpose," Granny Matilde said.

Lydia was distraught and yelled, "What purpose? To fight the 'Demon King'? Well, to my remembrance, the so-called 'Demon King' died long ago. And anyone that went against him died as traitors. So, you all will not lead my son to an early demise or have him branded as a traitor!"

"Wh-What?" Link and Aryll yelled.

Agitha's face was one of shock, but it soon disappeared as she muttered, "I knew it...They all really did die young..."

"I...I...I d-don't want to die!" Link yelled, quickly getting up and running out of the hidden chamber.

Aryll followed him, hoping to calm him down.

* * *

 _Okay. So, Link's mother in this version caused him to become terrified in fulfilling his role as the Hero. And she wholeheartedly feel that the Heroes are traitors. Hmm..._


	9. Chapter 9: Banishment, pt I

_"You're no son of mine! Get out! Get out of here!...And never come back!"_

 _-an angered father_

Chapter Nine: Runaway, pt. I

 _While sitting with his family on the foremost pew in the Aboda Village Chapel, the young Link watched as four men carried various items into the chapel. One carried a potrait of Sigmund, the man called "Father". Another carried an urn. A third carried flowers and the last carried a large sword, belonging to Sigmund. Everyone wore black, including him, and were sobbing._

 _Link, not really remembering the man, just looked around. Some took offense, whispering various things and glaring. The boy turned to face the altar and heard, "Seriously, that family's gotta be cursed..."_

 _The head priest stood in front and started the ceremony._

 _"We are gathered here today to celebrate the life of Sigmund Nodor..." he said._

 _Link started feeling sleepy and his eyelids grew heavy. He couldn't keep his eyes open and, within moments, he fell asleep, much to the chagrin of the mourners._

* * *

 _Link's room, Nodor Household..._

After running away from the chapel, Link rushed home, didn't acknowledge Oni who greeted him, slammed his bedroom door and locked it behind him. His head started feeling funny and the room, painted by someone called "Hasan", started spinning. He collapsed onto the floor, holding his head as pain began shooting from it.

"I-I'm n-not a-a-a...! I'm-I'm not...!" Link whimpered, his vision still dizzy.

 _"You're not a what?"_

Link curled up, his whimpers even louder and he heard another voice speak to him.

 _"Yeah, what aren't you?"_

 _"I just asked him that."_

 _"Huh? You heard me?"_

Link truly thought he was losing it and his curled up even more. He covered his ears, but still heard the two voices. One seemed older, more mature, while the other was more youthful and chipper.

'Leave me alone...' he thought.

Instead of his vision coming back to normal and the voices going away, Link passed out. Moments later, he opened his eyes and he slowly stood to his feet. He walked towards the desk and read the note that was lying on it. It was addressed to someone named "Hasan". It seemed to be from him thanking the person for painting the room's walls and ceiling. Another next to it was one addressed to a person named Bartholomew. It was also from Link, asking him about his aggression.

He couldn't remember writing those notes and looked more around the room, seeing the mural of horses, pastures and knights wearing green. A castle was on one of the walls and a large sun was painted on the ceiling. The image of the knights looked very familiar and he could've sworn he was the one that painted them.

A loud barrage of knocks took him out of his thoughts.

"Link! LINK! Open the door! C'mon!"

Recognizing it as Aryll's, he did so, but the small nagging feeling of annoyance crept up. The girl looked him over and asked, "Are you okay? Why did you run away?"

He said nothing as he was confused and turned away. Aryll looked at him and asked, "Link? Are you...Are you alright?"

He was about to respond when Lydia called for Aryll. She gave him a worrying look and walked away.

* * *

 _Later, dining room table..._

"Link's not okay. I know he's not," Aryll said.

The teen, sitting at the table with the other members of Link's family, stared at his bowl of reekfish stew. He listened in, trying to figure out what made him stressed.

"He's fine," Agitha told her, not looking up from her bowl and eating.

"But he hasn't said anything since...!" Aryll yelled.

"Link doesn't speak much anyway!" Agitha retorted.

The girls started arguing and Link heard Granny Matilde say, "Girls, quiet! Link is most likely still in shock after what we told him."

"Well yeah. You told him that he was the reincarnation of a traitor..." Lydia muttered, messing with her food with a spoon.

'A "reincarnated traitor"...?' Link thought.

"The one called the 'Kingslayer' I'm sure would've been a Great Hero if he didn't lose his mind," Granny Matilde told her.

'A Hero...? Oh...So, is that why he was so upset and awakened me?' Link thought.

He didn't hear Granny Matilde call him and she yelled, "Link! Are you listening?"

He looked up and she asked, "I'm sorry if the elders and I scared you. Are you alright? You haven't touched your food. I'm sure Oni would take offense that you haven't eaten."

Looking away, he said nothing and Agitha asked, "Are you here again...Raven?"

Link turned to her at the mention of that name and said, "'Raven'? Who's Raven?"

"Uh, who are you and what have you done with my son?" Lydia asked, noticing Link's lack of a stutter.

"Maybe this is one of the 'others' he's created. He doesn't seem to be malevolent or anything," Granny Matilde told her.

The knightess didn't believe her and became hostile. She stood to her feet and Granny Matilde said, "Don't. Sit and finish your food. He means us no harm."

Lydia glared and didn't heed her. Instead, she left the table and went into her room. "Link" looked to the elderly woman and said, "I am sorry if I've caused offense."

"There's no need to apologize. Now, the question is, which one are you?" Granny Matilde asked.

"What do you mean?" "Link" asked.

Aryll was confused and asked, "What do you mean 'what do you mean'? You're not acting like the Link we know."

"Well, I wouldn't be surprised. He just found out that he's a reincarnated traitor, so he's probably using another personality to cope with what Granny said..." Agitha said, eating the last of her stew.

"Link" was very confused and asked, "Um, so you're saying that I'm me, but then I'm not me?"

Granny Matilde looked hard in thought and asked, "What is the last thing you remember, Link? I assume that's your name."

"Link" nodded, but said how he remember entering a place deep within a desolate forest called the Royal Valley, searching for something called a Kinstone. He discovered a large tomb in the middle of a graveyard and then...nothing. Granny Matilde stayed deep in thought and Agitha said, "So, you're a 'Link', but not our Link."

"I guess...But, do you know how to get back to...?" "Link" said.

Moments later, dizziness overcame him and his vision darkened. Once it returned, Link opened his eyes and was very confused on how he got to the dining table. His lost expression didn't go unnoticed by the others and Aryll said, "Link, are you back?"

"Um...W-What happened? H-H-How did I-I g-get he-here?" he asked.

His grandmother explained how they met another of his 'others', one that was also named Link. It behaved differently and didn't have a stutter. It also seemed to be lost and was on an "adventure".

"But it's good that you're back," Aryll said, giving him a smile.

Agitha finished her food, got up from the table and stormed off, heading for her room. Granny Matilde sighed and muttered, "I would've hoped that her hatred would abate by now."

* * *

 _"Link! Link, are you okay?" a tall, burly young man that oddly looked like Groose asked._

 _A young man clad in green sat up from sleeping on a stool within an old, flora overgrown temple. He rubbed his eyes and said, "Y-Yeah...Um..."_

 _"Seriously, what was all that about, man?" the tan-skinned young man asked._

 _"Sorry, Groo... But, I was having...HORRIBLE, NIGHTMARE VISIONS!" the green clad one yelled, eyes wide and terrified._

 _An old woman covered in dark blue attire waddled towards them. Her face was shrouded by an oversized, red hood and a large mark in the shape of an eye and teardrop was on the back. Once she was close, she told the redhaired one, "Ah, it seems that some of his dormant memories are awakening."_

 _"Whadaya mean?" the young man asked, looking down at the woman as he towered over her._

 _The old woman motioned for him to back away and asked the green clad one, "What was the nightmare about?"_

 _"It was weird. I was standing in this field, charging at this giant, black demon-guy with flaming hair. I fought him and lost and was about to get killed when this giant loftwing that looked a lot like mine came down. It scooped me up and started flying off when I saw someone that looked like Zelda. I kept screaming for her to not fight him, but..." Link told her._

 _The old woman pondered it for a moment and said, "I believe that was more than just a dream, Link."_

 _"Huh?" Link asked._

 _"You sure that wasn't some 'PSDT' stuff? We did just fight that giant, black, scaly 'avocado' with legs and arms a few hours ago!" the tan-skinned, redhead said._

 _"'Black, scaly avocado with legs and arms'...?" Link asked._

 _"Yeah! That's what I call it! The giant, legged avocado, aka the...uh...Hmm..." the one apparently called "Groo" said._

 _"It is called the 'Imprisoned', Groo..." the old woman said._

 _"Okay. My new name for it. The giant, legged avocado shall now be dubbed: 'The Imprisoned, Gigantic Legged Avocado'!" he said, grinning._

* * *

Link eyes shot open, quickly coming out of the odd dream. He sat up in his bed and rubbed his eyes. The young Hylian wondered what that dream was about as he never had one like that before. The redhead in his dream looked almost exactly like Groose and was named similarly to him. And there was the mysterious old woman, who seemed to know more that what she was letting on.

And then there was the young man clad in green with the same name as his. His dream was in his perspective, so he didn't know what else he looked like. And he didn't get why he was dressed in all green. Link did like wearing clothes in that color, but the outfit, from what he could remember, was really...odd.

"Link! Link! You awake? It's morning already," he heard Aryll from behind his bedroom door.

She opened it after three knocks and peeked her head into the room. Aryll sighed in relief and entered, shutting the door behind her. She sat on his bed and her expression was one of sadness.

"Um...I...Oni and I overheard Mom talking with someone on her Sheikah Stone...and..." Aryll started.

Link motioned for her to continue, wondering why she was eavesdropping. Aryll was ready to cry and said, "Mom said something about sending you off to a place called 'Sunnyside'."

"'Su-Sunny...si-side'?" Link asked her.

Aryll nodded and was about to tell him more when a loud thud was heard. The two exited the room, rushed for the living room and saw Lydia, Granny Matilde and the white-haired Sheikah woman from before. The very sight of her brought uneasiness to Link and he felt himself sway a bit. Aryll held onto him and the woman noticed the two.

"Is this him...?" the woman said.

"Yes. Yes, it's him, Impa," Lydia told her.

Granny Matilde motioned for the two to join them and everyone sat on the furniture. Oni appeared, holding a small tray with a teapot, a few cups and a jar of sugar cubes, courtesy of the southern isles. He looked at Impa with suspicion and then to Lydia. Impa noticed and said, "It is impolite to stare, child."

"Oh, uh, sorry about that. You just look familiar," Oni told her.

He quickly left, heading into the kitchen and looking a bit awkward. Aryll asked about Agitha's whereabouts and was told that she went to the school for studying. Impa, however, turned the subject back to Link and asked, "How often does he have these...episodes?"

She poured herself some tea and heard Lydia say, "Oh, quite often. He's had them more frequently since the day Sigmund passed."

"And he's on medication?" Impa asked.

"Yes, but we do not force him to take it as he says he hates its side effects," Granny Matilde said, eyeing the Sheikah woman suspiciously.

Impa looked to Link and asked, "So, why don't you take them? The medicine's known for calming the nerves that causes seizures."

"But they don't stop his personality shifts," Agitha said, entering the home.

She carried a few books in her hands and stared at Impa.

"So, you're the lady that's going to help him?" she asked.

"Yes. I'm from the capital. I'm accessing whether or not your brother should be enrolled at the institute," Impa told her.

Agitha shrugged, muttering as she left for her room, "Knock yourself out."

Impa looked bewildered by her behavior and Granny Matilde said, "Don't mind her. She has a few...issues that she needs to come to terms with."

Changing the subject, Lydia asked, "So, how much will it cost to enroll him?"

"No! Don't let him go!" Aryll yelled.

Link as about to voice his opinion when Impa held up a hand, motioning for everyone to calm down. The Sheikah looked to Link and asked, "My first question is this. Why do you not take your medicine? It will help ease your seizures and prevent those episodes."

Link didn't want to speak, fearing that the woman would add it to her assessment of him. He really didn't want to head to that place, as he didn't know where it was and he didn't want to get separated from his family. Impa kept her stare at him, her blood red eyes seemed to pierce his mind.

 _"Ah, so you have a stutter?"_

'Huh? Who's there?' Link thought.

He tried to turn away from Impa's gaze, but found that he couldn't. Her eyes seemed to glow and he heard the voice again.

 _"It is I, Impa. I'm telepathically speaking to you using Spirit magic. So, you do not like taking your medication, the Purple Potions, because it makes you feel funny. I'm not too surprised as the effects of the potion can feel random if one's not used to it. But most of the time, it reduces electrical impulses in the nervous system, helping people with tremors and those with epilepsy like yourself."_

'Uh, yeah. But it still makes me feel weird,' Link replied in his thoughts.

Impa nodded and said, "I would like to examine more of your son's mental state privately. Or at least without any condemning eyes staring at the poor fellow."

"There's Elder Sahasrahla's house," Lydia told her.

Granny Matilde shook her head, saying, "If 'Bartholomew' awakens while Impa's examining Link, then he'll just attack Groose again."

"What about that place that you...?" Aryll said.

Granny Matilde's countenance changed as she glared at the girl. Aryll covered her mouth and Impa asked, "What place?"

"It's nothing worth mentioning!" Granny Matilde yelled.

"I know you don't fully trust me due to my allegiance with the emperor and my cohorts. But I assure you, I mean you no harm," Impa said.

"Then why did you come here? I know you're not here to help Link," Aryll asked.

Impa nodded and said, "Yes, I originally did not come to this village to help your brother as I was hunting down a dangerous creature. It alluded me, but I'm sure that it will not attack as long as I'm here. And since Lydia and I have been friend since before your brother, sister and you were born, I was willing to help her in this crisis. But I can only do so much without your family's cooperation."

"Well, there are reasons why I'm not cooperative with one such as you," Granny Matilde told her.

"I know it's not because I'm a Sheikah. It is because I'm allied with the emperor and you do not trust my cohorts. But I can assure you that I'm not like them," Impa told her.

The old woman turned away, still not trusting her, and Lydia said, "Matilde, please. We have to..."

The grandmother stood up and said to the Sheikah, "If anything happens after we reveal such a private place to you, I will blame you."

"Understood," Impa told her, taking off a necklace with a small turquoise pendant hanging on a black string.

She placed it on the small table in the living room and place her teacup over it. When asked about it, Impa said that she didn't want anyone eavesdropping any further on their conversation. Pleased, Lydia led the Sheikah, Granny Matilde, Link and Aryll to the chapel.

As they walked in the snow, a few villagers had cut eyes at Link and then to Impa. Some whispered to each other and Link figured they were talking about her. If not, they were most likely talking about him.

They reached the chapel within a few minutes and the monks inside were surprised at Link's return. The head priest asked, "Ah! He's back...? Oh! You're from the capital. I'm sorry, but you're not permitted in this holy place."

"Don't worry. She's with me," Granny Matilde told them.

"But...! She's...!" another monk asked.

"I'll watch her closely," Granny Matilde said.

The monks moved out of the way and Link's grandmother led the group farther into the chapel. They arrived at the chapel's lowest chamber and Link was disturbed at all the small statuettes sitting in small alcoves. Each statue had his face and Link wanted to leave immediately.

Granny Matilde motioned him to the magic circle in the room's center and he walked into it. Wordlessly, he sat down and Granny Matilde sat outside the circle. Impa did the same and Lydia shut the chamber's door, darkening the candlelight lit room.

Just as it closed, the magic circle started to glow a pale green color. The mark of Farore on Link's right wrist began to glow with it as well as his triangle-shaped birthmark. The light from both marks ran up his arms, causing his veins and arteries to glow. It scared Link and he could do nothing as searing pain suddenly filled his body. His head started to ache and his clutched it.

"What's happening?" Aryll asked.

"He's...Link? Link!" Lydia yelled.

Everything started spinning and Link found that he couldn't breathe. As he saw Impa and Granny Matilde's eyes widen in shock, his vision darkened and he collapsed...

* * *

 _Oh no. What's happening to the poor guy now? Stay tuned._

 _-miano53_


	10. Chapter 10: Banishment, pt II

_"In the land covered in twilight, where people roam as spirits, you were transformed into a blue-eyed beast... That was a sign... It was a sign that the powers of the chosen one rest within you...and that they are awakening."_

 _-unknown_

Chapter Ten: Banishment, pt. II

 _"How dare he falls asleep at his own father's funeral!" a villager yelled._

 _"Well he barely remembers the man, so I'm not surprised," another said._

 _Dressed in a black hued version of her armor, Lydia said nothing as she held the sleepy Link close to her. He looked up as the villagers berated her for defending him. He didn't get why everyone was so upset. He was sleepy and thought that everyone would've understood._

 _The mourners glared, grumbled and some even shook their heads in disappointment. One seemingly brave villager stood in front of the crowd outside of the chapel and said, "Seriously, why defend him, Lydia? Your son brought a curse on this village by climbing that mountain!"_

 _"How was he supposed to know that section of Snowpeak is cursed? How is any child supposed to know if you don't tell them?" Lydia asked._

 _Another yelled, "We have! Constantly!"_

 _"Nuh uh! You guys never told us!" the young Pipit yelled coming to the woman and his friend's defense._

 _Near the crowd, a young Groose and Karane also joined in, yelling, "Yeah! No one told us!"_

 _Karane's adopted mother turned to look at her and gave her a death stare. The girl quieted down and looked away. Groose, however, yelled, "You guys didn't say the mountain was 'cussed'! You guys just told us not to climb it!"_

 _"That should be enough to deter you!" a fifth angry villager bellowed._

 _Granny Matilde stood in front of Lydia, saying, "It was a mistake. An honest mistake. And my grandson isn't cursed. Neither is this village."_

 _"Then why does your son having that 'epipletsy'? Sounds like a curse to me!" a sixth asked._

 _"It's 'epilepsy'..." Agitha muttered, very smart for her age._

 _Scarcely_ _anyone heard her and the villagers started making many accusations against the young amnesiac. The villager accusing Link of bringing a curse on the village then said, "Maybe if he hadn't climbed that mountain, things would be different!"_

 _"So, what are you trying to say? That my son is the reason for my husband's death? If so, then I would highly suggest that you all disperse...Now!" Lydia said, glaring back at the crowd._

 _They did as Link saw his mother putting a hand to her sheathed sword. The family looked to her and she said, with a weak smile, "Our family isn't cursed. It's just silly superstitions the people here still hold onto."_

 _"But what if we are?" Aryll asked._

 _"We're not cursed!" Lydia yelled._

 _"But Link, he..." Agitha said._

 _Lydia bellowed, garnering a few passerby's attention, "WE'RE NOT CURSED! SO, DROP IT!"_

 _Link saw Agitha turn away as she muttered, "Yes we are...If we weren't, Dad would still be here..."_

 _Granny Matilde slapped the girl, saying, "Don't you ever say anything like that again."_

* * *

 _Hidden Chamber, Aboda Village Chapel..._

"What's happening to him?" a panicked Aryll asked.

"He's...Link...Link?!" Lydia cried out.

All they could do was watch as Link cried out in pain as green and yellow, vein-like runes suddenly ran up and down his arms. His birthmarks also started to glow and the light coming from them were nearly blinding. What was most horrifying were the color of his eyes. They rapidly shifted from their natural blue hue, to gold, then to red, then purple, green and many others.

The five females could feel a powerful surge of magic that emanated from him. Pressure began building up within the chamber and all they could think of was to run. Aryll bolted, rushing for the stairs. Agitha and Lydia were next, following Aryll out.

Granny Matilde and Impa stayed behind, watching as Link cried out in pain again. His screams shifted from his normal voice to several at once. He then collapsed, the haunting screams ceasing and the surge turning into a massive fountain of magic. His body was engulfed in light and the magic was ready to explode.

Impa raised her hands, holding them in front of her and yelled, "Shadow Barrier!"

A purple, crystalline barrier appeared, encasing the unconscious Link within. Granny Matilde yelled, "What's going on with him? Why is he...?"

"I'm afraid that all of his personas are awakening at once," Impa told her, sounding rather calm.

"What do you mean? All this magic from one child with four 'others'?" the worried grandmother asked.

"No. If I'm right, based on your grandson's birthmarks, hundreds, maybe even several thousand, are awakening...adding their magical might to his own..." Impa said.

She was about to ask another when the Sheikah yelled, "Run! I don't think I can hold him back for long!"

The grandmother did so, running out of the chamber. Impa looked back and felt the magic from the Hylian. She closed her eyes as she felt the barrier shake. With a nod, Impa said to him, "You've returned...after 150 absence...But...this isn't how you were supposed to come. A child with no memories, no control over himself or his powers..."

The barrier shattered, engulfing Impa and the chamber in powerful light.

* * *

 _The ice caves, northern caverns..._

Groose dropped his pickaxe, looking around as the cave started to shake. The other workers, all from Aboda Village, were scared and one asked, "An earthquake? All they way over here?"

"No. There's nothing natural about these earthquakes..." another said.

Something told Groose that it was coming from something powerful, like magic. He never felt power like that before...well, the last time he did was the day when his family was massacred.

A shard of ice fell next to him, snapping him out of his thoughts. More rumbling filled the cavern and parts of the walls started to crack. The leader of the ice-block gathering party, waving his lantern, yelled, "Guys, stop mining! We're getting outta here!"

* * *

 _The Hyrulian-Holodrumi defensive wall, interior..._

Sudden rumbling shook the wall and its foundation, causing for Pipit and a few others to stumble and fall onto the stone floor. The yellow-wearing teen looked around, searching for its source. He panicked as parts of the wall started to crack and break.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"An earthquake?" another worker asked.

"No! We don't have earthquakes this far north!" a third said.

Pipit got to his feet, using the wall as support. He stumbled to a nearby window, looked outside and saw the Hyrulian forces in a panic. He jumped as the sound of bells filled the air. The shaking grew even worse and the order was given for everyone to evacuate.

* * *

 _Hylia City, Northern Palace..._

"And we're advancing farther west, taking Holodrum's Sunken City and..." General Onox told His Majesty.

The throne room suddenly shook violently and Ganondorf held onto the armrest of his throne. His advisers stumbled about as they were all standing. Onox, a tall, clad in golden armor monster of a man, stood his ground. He smirked at the others, saying, "Wimps! It's just a little shaking."

The tremors stopped and everyone sighed in relief. Ganondorf looked around to make sure nothing was amiss. He found no such thing, save for several Sheikah jumping down from the ceiling. They knelt down in respect and one asked, "Your Majesty, shall we evacuate?"

"Yes, shall we? These tremors are not natural in the slightest," another told him.

Onox scoffed, saying, "It was just an aftershock. Death Mountain's probably erupting again."

"But the mountain's been dormant for over a thousand years. How and why would it start erupting now?" an adviser told him.

The general wasn't having it and was ready to give a very loud retort when His Majesty bade him silent. He looked to the Sheikah troop and ordered, "Find Dr. Shikashi and ask him about that earthquake then report back to me."

"Understood," they said, disappearing.

* * *

 _Hytopia Castle Town..._

In a small clothing store was a blonde fourteen year old in white, arranging various clothes for its rotund owner. Her elegant, pointed ears picked up a rumbling sound and twitched as it did so. The next thing she knew, the entire store shook from what she thought was an aftershock. The tremors lasted only a few seconds, knocking down jewelry and a few clothes onto the floor.

Once the somewhat terrifying ordeal was over, the girl groaned, saying, "This is just great...I have to clean up all over again..."

"Zelda! Zelda! Did you feel that?" a portly woman in purple asked, coming from behind some curtains.

The girl nodded and said, "I did, Madame Couture. But I have to clean up all this and I had just finished..."

Madame Couture glanced around and said, "It's alright. I'll clean. Just go home for now."

"Okay. But, wasn't I supposed to get paid today?" the girl asked.

The madame's face became twisted in a scowl and Zelda said, "You didn't pay me last week, so I thought I should..."

"You'll get paid soon. Remember that you didn't take this job for the pay. You took it for the experience! Experience, my dear, is better than pay!" Madame Couture yelled.

Zelda sighed in defeat, wondering why her "paid internship" never paid on time. She left and the madame looked up as if she sensed something.

"Hmm...Hytopia doesn't get earthquakes. What is going on?" she said to herself.

She then heard the sound of bells ringing off in the distance. Madame Couture nodded and said, "Those bells haven't rung like that in 15 years. I guess he's awakening now."

* * *

 _Unknown tower, Great Sea region..._

"And we pray to Mother Hylia to put the world back into balance..." a priest in white and gold sung.

He was joined by several hundred monks and nuns, sitting in a large circular chamber. In its center was a raised, golden altar, where the priest stood. Four doors, in the cardinal directions, gave access to other parts of the area and roads of gold tiling led to them. Around the altar and on top of stone columns were six statues of the elemental sages, excluding the sages of Shadow and Spirit. Various torches lit up the windowless chamber and the monks and nuns kept bowing to the golden statue of the goddess of time, Hylia.

Each worshiper were dressed in dark blue robes with gold trimmings. The nuns wore headscarves and veils that covered their head, supposedly to encourage virtue among the religious sect. One nun came out of her prayers as she could've sworn she felt a tremor.

"Hilda...Hilda, why aren't you praying?" a nun next to her asked.

Hilda removed her veil, revealing a pale face and cold, blue eyes. They quickly turned red and she sensed something...off. It was a power that she never felt before, a very dangerous if not properly channeled power. It felt like it was coming from Hyrule, but it wasn't possible under normal circumstances to feel magically energy so far away.

"And we pray that the Hero returns to..." the priest sung.

A beam of light came down, striking the goddess statue and destroying it. The sounds of bells ringing filled the chamber and the priest yelled, "He...He's returned to us! The Hero has been reborn!"

"Huh? Didn't they ring 15 years ago?" a monk asked.

"I dunno. A whole bunch of other people said they did," another said.

* * *

 _Aboda Village, thoroughfare..._

A sudden jump, followed by violently shaking knocked the patrolling Karane to the ground. She, along with other villagers, were startled at the earthquake as the snowy mountain region wasn't known for geological activity. The "half-breed" tried to stand, only to fall back down.

Other villagers exited their homes, many crawling on their hands and feet from the tremors. Feeling a terrible power coming from the chapel, Karane started for it, only to be stopped by the "terror twins", Mido and Fado, and their crew.

"What's going on? WAAH!" Cawlin screamed, holding onto Fado for dear life.

"I don't know. Where did this earthquake come all of a sudden?" Fado said.

They saw Karane trying to get away and Mido yelled, "Karane! What's going on?"

"How should I know?" she asked.

The skies grew dark and Cawlin screamed, "We're all gonna die!"

A loud crack was heard and light poured out of the chapel. An explosion destroyed the building, sending debris, snow and smoke flying everywhere. Some were about to hit Karane and the others when a barrier of shadow appeared, covering them and repelling the debris.

Karane saw the village's newcomer, Oni, appear. He was quickly joined by a worried Elder Aginah, Lady Umma and a battle ready Elder Sahasrahla. The barrier around them dispersed and they could see a column of light shooting forth from where the chapel was and into the heavens.

The next thing they knew, something very bright and very fast shot out of the smoke and dust, crashing into Oni and sending him flying. The raven-haired one performed an aerial flip, recovering and landing on all fours. He gasped as the thing that hit him was a figure pulsating with light.

The figure looked masculine and various shades of colors came from them, like light from a prism. Runes of black ran up and down the figure's arms and legs, coming together in a triangle shape on his chest. He glared at Oni with burning red eyes, but his attention was turned to Mido as the not-to-bright teen started throwing snowballs at him.

Karane screamed, "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like? We're fighting off that thing! Get outta this village, monster!" Mido yelled.

Fado was unsure while Cawlin and the others of their group joined in tossing snowballs. Karane backed away, fearing the worst. Moments after getting pelted in the face, the runes on the figure changed from black to blue and he lifted his right arm.

Karane and Fado jumped out of the way as the snow suddenly swirled about Mido and his flunkies. Fado tried to get in closer, only for the frigid air to push her back.

 _"Ether,"_ the figure said in a voice that sounded like a chorus.

The violent, frigid winds pushed Fado and Karane back and died soon after. The two gasped as they saw Mido and the others frozen solid. Fado rushed for her brother, screaming, "No! Mido! Cawlin! Cecil! Asa!"

The figure's attention was turned back at Oni, who got to his feet. The glare returned and Karane could only watch as Elders Aginah and Sahasrahla stood in front of the newcomer. Lady Umma rushed for Karane and Fado, telling them that she knew how to unfreeze the four.

Oni's jaw dropped as he saw the glowing figure sudden freeze four of the village's children. He never seen magic like that before, or at least he didn't remember. He shook his head, coming out of his shock as the figure glared at him with its glowing eyes. The red color quickly changed to yellow, just as the runes on his body returned to its black hue.

To his surprise, Elders Sahasrahla and Aginah stood in front of him. Aginah held up a blue shepherd's staff while Sahasrahla had a red scepter with a ruby at its tip. Wondering what they were thinking, Oni yelled, "What are you guys doing? Why are you helping me?"

"Because if we don't, I fear that we'll never get him to calm down," Aginah replied.

"What do you...? Whoa!" Oni yelled.

The figure of light tossed several orbs of Light magic his way. Aginah lifted his staff into the air and chanted, "Nayru's Love!"

A prism of light surrounded the trio, deflecting the orbs and sending them flying into various houses. Upon impact, the houses shattered into pieces, shards of splinters and rock flying everywhere. A bit unnerved by the figure's power, Sahasrahla pointed the red scepter at their foe and it hummed with energy.

"Eldin's Rage!" he chanted and a column of flame was summoned.

The figure raised both arms, whose runes were glowing blue again, and a wall of snow appeared before him. The fire struck the wall, turning it into steam. Oni couldn't see where the figure was as the mist prevented it.

He was then struck in the face by a flying kick and stumbled back. The glowing figure had appeared at his right when he wasn't looking. He disappeared and reappeared again, this time punching Oni in the back of the head. He stumbled forward, tried to get his bearings when the figure reappeared again, attacking.

Oni was hit several times as the figure disappeared and reappeared. He was punched in the stomach, kicked in the back, cut by a knife on his left arm and was tripped by a low kick to his legs. The young man fell onto his back and the glowing figure stood above him. He glared, his eyes rapidly changing from one color to the next.

A sword of light appeared in his left hand and Oni thought his end was nigh. Elder Sahasrahla aimed for the assailant and chanted, "Fire Dragon's Roar!"

A blast of fire came from his staff, the fire taking the shape of a dragon. The figure was hit and launched into the air. He was airborne for a few moments, only to flip out of the fire's arc and land on a nearby roof.

His runes changed from blue to white. The figure's eyes locked with Karane's and the girl found that she couldn't move. Elder Aginah ran up to her and yelled, "Release her!"

Instead of heeding the old man, the figure held up both hands in front of himself. Magical energy gathered and Elder Aginah casted another Nayru's Love spell, the barrier of light erected around the two. Moments later, powerful flames, green in color, shot forth and engulfed Karane and Aginah.

She closed her eyes, thinking that her end was imminent when she heard Aryll scream, "Link! Stop it!"

The flames disappeared and Karane opened her eyes to see Aryll, Dame Lydia and Granny Matilde. Off in the distance was Agitha and the Sheikah visitor, helping monks out of the rubble that was the chapel. Dame Lydia held up her small shield in her left hand and a short sword in her right.

In tears, Aryll said, "Let...Let him go, whoever you are!"

The figure jumped towards her, landing in front of Lydia. The woman held up her shield in a defensive posture and he lifted a hand. Instead of attacking, he seemed confused.

 _"A-Aryll..."_ the figure said, the many voices speaking at once.

Karane was terrified, but wondered how Aryll managed to stop him. He looked at Karane and Aginah again and the glow in his eyes dulled. The light pulsating from his body vanished and those in the vicinity saw Link. His blue eyes were glazed over, as if in a trance.

With another glance at everyone, Link fell to his knees and then collapsed face first onto the ground. The ice encasing Mido and the others disappeared, leaving the four shivering violently. The villagers that went to hide cautiously came out and saw the passed out Link. Many of them had scowls on their faces and Karane was afraid that they would try to hurt him.

Before they could retaliate, Lydia and Elder Sahasrahla grabbed Link, taking him home. Aryll and Karane followed, with Karane turning around every few steps to see if any angry villagers were following.

* * *

 _An hour later, village outskirts, wagon..._

"The damages done to the village by him are astronomical. Twenty homes were completely destroyed, as well as the chapel. And others suffered structural damage and cannot be inhabited. The entire village wants him banished, but..." Elder Aginah said.

Karane watched as Aryll held onto a confused Link for dear life. She cried and begged her mother profusely not to send Link away. Agitha, who helped tended to the wounded, said, "Let him go, Aryll."

"No! Let him stay, Mom! Please!" Aryll cried.

Link looked to his mother, who turned away from him. Her eyes started to water and she said, "I...Link...He can't stay here. I should've sent him to get help a long time ago. But, I was afraid..."

"He will not be seen as a traitor or anything as I've concealed his birthmarks. When we get to Hylia City, he will receive the treatments that he desperately needs," Impa told her.

"But!" Aryll started.

Agitha grumbled, pulled her sister away from their brother and yelled, "There are no buts! He nearly killed everyone in the village with his powers!"

"I-I...d-did...?" Link asked.

The girl glared at her brother, saying, "Yes, you did. You lost your mind in that underground chamber and you destroyed the chapel, nearly killing all the monks inside. You destroyed almost all the houses in the villages and you tried murdering everyone in your insane rampage!"

"It...I...It-It's n-not...I-I-I..." Link stuttered uncontrollably.

Elder Sahasrahla and Groose, who returned from the ice caves, placed the last of Link's things in the back of a horse-drawn wagon. The teen placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, only for said friend to suddenly back up and yell, "Don't touch me!"

Karane stepped back, disturbed by Link's dangerous personality shift. He glared at Groose, only for him to return to being frightened seconds later. Impa shook her head, telling Link, "I'm sorry. But that is the reason why you have to leave here. You see, your personality shifts and magical prowess makes you very dangerous."

"I...I-I h-have...to...?" he asked.

"Yes. You have to leave. For both your safety and the safety of this village," Impa replied.

He looked at his family and friends that were present with a saddened expression. With one final apology, he climbed into the wagon. Impa sighed and told them, "You will be able to write to him and even talk to him via Gossip Stones. I'll make sure that he still can contact you."

"Whatever for? He tried destroying us, so I don't think he wants..." Agitha started.

Aryll scowled at her sister, storming off. Agitha shook her head as Impa jumped onto the driver's seat. With a slight slap with the reins, the white horse took off and the wagon started off for the capital.


	11. Chapter 11: Two Weeks Later

_"The provinces known as Lanayru, Faron, Eldin, and Ordona bear the same names as they did in the Era of the Goddess Hylia. They are protected by the Light Spirits who share their names."_

 _-Hyrule Historia, vol. 58_

Chapter Eleven: Two Weeks Later

 _"I-I...A-am I-I cu-cur-cursed?" a younger Link asked._

 _Lydia looked at her son after the scene with Aboda's angry villagers. She sighed, thinking that the boy wasn't paying attention during the argument._

 _"No, you're not cursed. Not at all Link," Lydia told him._

 _He gave her a smile that quickly turned into a grimace. The boy grabbed his head and suddenly cried out in pain. Lydia grabbed him, held him close and young Link started screaming._

 _"Let me go! Let me go! Let me go!" he shrieked._

 _"Link! It's me! It's your mother!" Lydia said as the boy squirmed in her embrace._

 _Agitha stared at the scene with disgust while Aryll was greatly worried. Granny Matilde, rubbing her hands together, said, "He need to sleep now."_

 _She placed her right thumb on his forehead and an orange glow pulsated from it. Link's screams became louder and his squirming more violent. She picked him up and carried him home, despite the boy's loud protests and piteous villagers watching._

* * *

 _1 Rauru 1015, 6th Era of Water, 1st day of the week, Hylia City..._

In an all-white, enclosed room of the medical institute called Sunnyside sat Link, in white fatigues, Impa and an old man in orange and red robes. Impa and the old man were in chairs while Link seemed content with sitting on the floor. The room itself was sparse, only containing a bed covered with white sheets and a pillow, a desk and lamp on top for writing and a door that led to small bathroom.

The old man had a writing pad and pen in hand and Impa watched as she saw Link looked around the room in confusion. He seemed to be at a loss and asked, without a stutter, "Where...Where am I? And who are you two?"

"Link, I'm Osfala Lux, remember? I'm here as your psychiatrist. And this is Impa Kaji, the woman who's your caretaker," the man, Osfala, explained.

Link kept his stare and said, "Impa? Osfala?"

"Yes. That's our names. And yours is Link, correct?" Osfala asked.

"Link...? Oh...The boy..." Link said, his voice suddenly deepening.

Osfala looked to Impa and she said, "You're...'Raven', aren't you?"

"Yes. But, why am I here? What is this place?" "Raven" asked.

"You're here because Link's mother wishes for him to be here, for him to get better," Impa told him.

The persona gave them a suspicious glance and asked, "What do you mean by 'get better'?"

"She means that she wants 'Link' to gain control over you all, his differing personalities, and his epilepsy to cease," Osfala replied.

"Raven" still didn't seem to understand and asked, "So, I am to disappear?"

"If Link is to get better, yes," Impa said.

He seemed sad, turning away from their gaze. Moments later, his head fell, as if he had fallen asleep. Osfala was alarmed and asked, "Link? Or Raven?"

Impa heard a snarl and put a hand on the naginata on her back. Link raised his head and she saw his eyes a burning red. He glared at Impa and then Osfala. His body trembled as the growling filled the room.

The elderly Hylian looked ready to leave and gave Impa a terrified look. The Sheikah gripped her weapon and nearly became unnerved as the boy bared what looked like sharp teeth. Wanting him to calm down, she told him, "Link, I know you're in there. Whatever it is that's turning you feral, you need to fight it."

The snarls increased and he got on all fours. Impa quickly stood up and moved a terrified Osfala out of the way.

"Um...I-I'll just go..." Osfala said.

He quickly ran out of the room, closing the door behind him and making Impa roll her eyes at his cowardice. She turned her attention back to Link, who suddenly stopped growling. He went back to sitting on the floor and glanced around the room.

Shaking, he asked, "Where...Where am I? Who was that? And what was growling?"

Impa refused to lower her guard, staring at the boy and asking, "Now which one are you?"

"Huh?" he said.

"I've met 'Raven' already. So, which one are you? What is your name?" Impa asked, a hand still on her weapon.

She nearly gasped as she saw his eyes, formerly red, turn green. He kept glancing around in fear and said, "I'm...I'm Ravio. Where am I? It looks like a cell or something."

"You're in a place where you can get better. And when I mean you, I mean your true self, Link," Impa told him.

"Link? Um, is that the guy those twins mentioned? Because, that's not my name. It's Ravio," "Ravio" said.

Impa shook her head and said, "This is getting nowhere."

* * *

 _"He's been screaming like that for hours..." a nine-year-old Aryll said, standing in the hallway._

 _Lydia stood outside Link's bedroom door, locking it as he became excessively violent. He started snarling like a wild animal, threw various items, like books and boots, at his sisters, bit Lydia on her left arm to the point where it drew blood and flailed about, hitting Agitha and slapping Aryll. For nearly three hours, the twelve-year-old screamed, yelling things in gibberish and ramming himself into the door. Wanting to keep her twins girls safe and waiting for the village elders to come up with a solution to her son's malady, Lydia stood guard, with bandaged arm and all._

 _"Aryll, go find Granny," Lydia ordered._

 _"But..." the girl said._

 _"Just do it!" Lydia bellowed._

 _Aryll jumped and ran away, looking for her grandmother who was late. Lydia herself jumped as Link rammed himself into the door again, the sound of wood cracking as he did. She turned around, stared at it and another ram shook it. A loud thump came soon after and the woman thought he had knocked himself unconscious._

 _Lydia kept her gaze at the door, thinking she would have to pin Link down if it came to it. Another thump, this time a bit softer, rattled the wooden door. The mother made no motion to open or move away from it._

 _"M-M-Ma...M-M-Mom...? M-Mom? I-I-I'm l-locked in h-here. H-Help..." Link said from behind the door._

 _Lydia didn't believe he was back to himself and asked, "Link, if it is you and not a demon possessing my son, then what were we talking about hours ago?"_

 _"I-I...I don't remember," Link replied._

 _"Then you're not..." Lydia started._

 _"What are you doing? Did you...lock him in there?"_

 _Lydia saw Granny Matilde, along with Elders Sahashrahla, Aginah and Lady Umma. The four held potions, books and other charms. They shooed her away and Granny Matilde opened the room with her spare key._

* * *

 _Two days later, 3 Rauru 1015..._

"So, I'm here with an old geezer and a Sheikah," Link said, staring at Impa and Osfala in annoyance.

Impa was disturbed at his recent personality change. It called itself "Bartholomew", spoke very gruffly and with the accent of those from Labrynna. It also hated whenever Osfala tried to shorten its name. It seemed very prideful and xenophobic, to which Impa believed was tied to any feelings of fear of others that Link had. Osfala took notes and it greatly annoyed the persona.

"What are you writing, geezer?" "Bartholomew" asked.

"I'm not a 'geezer' and I'm writing my observations of you. Impa here is to witness and report everything back to your mother," Osfala said, telling half of the truth.

"My mother? What? That blonde lady that kept calling me a demon?" "Bartholomew" said.

Osfala scoffed and asked, "Well, are you? You seem to be very hateful of Impa, despite her not doing anything except help you."

"'Help me'? I never needed it," "Bartholomew" told him.

Osfala took more notes and Impa saw the words, "Purple potion treatment needed. Personalities of child out of control."

"Can you just let me outta here?" "Bartholomew" asked.

"No. Link's mother, your mother, wishes for you to stay here. You must get these 'others' under control so you can be a productive member of society," Impa told him.

The persona rolled his eyes and Osfala said, "I believe that's enough for today. Impa, shall we?"

"What? You're leaving already? What? You got better things to do?" "Bartholomew" asked.

"Yes, we do. We'll be back in the morning," Osfala said.

Impa and he left, shutting and locking the door behind them. Once in the hall and a few feet away from Link's room, Osfala told Impa, "I fear its getting worse and we've made no progress. Where did you say he was from?"

"He's from the Snowpeak province, his hometown being Aboda Village," Impa answered.

Osfala nodded and said, "And they would've treated him with traditional methods. And who did you say his mother was?"

"Dame Lydia Nodor, widow of Sir Sigmund Nodor," Impa replied.

"So, he's the son of Hylian knights. So, the empire should pay for those potions and his treatment here," Osfala said.

"I've already told _Heika_ of the situation and he's agreed to pay for it, in honor of his best friends," Impa said.

Osfala went deep into thought and said, "I wonder if he's doing this since he has no child to speak of."

"What do you mean?" Impa asked.

"He has no children since the incident and it is rather odd that a Gerudo would care for Hylians, given our history," Osfala told her.

"So you think _Heika_ is trying to use the boy to replace his child? That's a bit far reaching, even for you," Impa said.

Osfala shrugged and said, "I guess, but I wouldn't put it pass him. He's done the same with those children that didn't make it into the Shadow Corps."

"How do you know such things?" Impa asked, her red eyes glowing.

"As a psychologist employed by the emperor himself, I'm privy to a few things. But not as much as you, Lady Impa," Osfala replied.

* * *

 _That night, Impa's chambers..._

Tired mentally and physically from observing Link's rapid persona changes, his original persona not returning for two weeks, training some recruits and privately reporting to His Majesty, Impa fell onto her bed face first. She paid no attention to the fact that she was still in her black and blue Sheikah garb, which was dirtied from training. Nor did she pay attention that she had tracked in some dirt in her immaculate bedroom.

She groaned as she was frustrated at Osfala and her's lack of progress on curing the boy's mental state. Impa started to believe that the promise she mad Lydia was a lofty one as Link's condition was critical. She never seen such a thing, where nearly 15 personalities spawned within two weeks. The Sheikah started to believe that maybe her old friend was right and he was possessed by something.

'But if it was a demon, it would've made itself known by now. So, what is it...?' Impa thought, her face buried in her bed's white covers.

"Lady Impa? Lady Impa?"

Impa rolled onto her back and said, "Yes?"

Someone jumped from the shadows in the ceiling and Impa sat up. With a small, tired smile, she said, "Hello there, Midna."

Midna, one of the ones who failed the recent Shadow Corps examination, had a scowl on her face and hands on her hips. Her usual black leotard was covered with a red poncho and a black hat was on her head, covering some of her long, red hair. She pouted and said, "Lady Impa, aren't you gonna let us make up that test? I could've passed if that stupid witch Megara Poe didn't leave me for dead."

"The Shadow Corps examinations are only once every two years. You'll have to wait another two before we can test you again," Impa said.

"But those girls cheated!" another said.

A girl of thirteen years with short, blue hair entered the room and was also scowling. In similar fashion to Midna, she wore a leotard, blue in color and covered by a white poncho. Ear muffs covered her ears and glasses were over her eyes. Midna nodded and said, "Yeah, those Poe sisters and Cubus twins screwed Fiona over too. Like I found her in one of the cells at the well's bottom. They tied her up and left her to die to a Skulltula."

"And Ghira didn't find me. He said if anything happened that he'll find me," the girl, Fiona, told Impa.

Impa shook her head, remembering how vicious the new recruits were to each other. Out of the group of five that she personally trained, Fiona's brother, Ghirahim Manjhi, and Lord Ezlo's son, Vaati Cipori, were the only ones that passed. Ghirahim used his cunning to take out one of the Cubus twins after wooing her. Vaati, however, used his strong Wind magic to subdue Beth and Sue-Belle Poe, trapping them in a room with a Dead Hand.

Among the ones who "survived" the test were Ghirahim Manjhi, Vaati Cipori, Megara and Amy Poe and I-no Cubus. Those that failed included Midna Notti, Fiona Manjhi, Sheik Yoichi and Beth and Sue-Belle Poe. Due to the viciousness of those who won and from some who failed, Impa considered to have them retake it. But Chancellor Cole and others forbade it.

She tried repeatedly to explain that to her students, but they wouldn't hear of it. They really, really wanted to join the Shadow Corps, the empire's elite forces used in some of the more...questionable missions. The Sheikah wondered why they would want to join as some of the missions she went on when she was younger nearly made her question her humanity.

"Well, I really want to join for the perks. Like you get free health care and can get better housing," Fiona said.

She looked to Midna and said, "I just want to find the ones who killed my family. I don't care to do anything else."

"Even if the empire asks for you to assassinate someone?"

Sheik stepped out of the shadows and the in-traditional-Sheikah-garb-wearing teen looked at the three with her visible ruby red eye. Her long, blonde hair, an oddity among Sheikah, cascaded down her back instead of being tied up in her usual ponytail. Her face was obscured by a mask, but Impa already knew how her face looked like. She folded her arms and asked the question again, to which Midna said, "I...I'll just...I'll just treat the missions like stepping stones."

Impa's thoughts went back to poor Link and wondered what else could be done to help. She doubt giving the boy more Purple Potions would help. And talking with him while he was under the influence of other personalities proved fruitless. Moments later, Midna said, "Sounds like some kind of weird curse or something."

"What curse? Who's cursed?" Fiona asked.

"A child that _Heika_ has me looking after. He...He's suffering under the influence of many personalities. His mother believes that he's possessed, but if he was, the evil spirit would've made itself known by now," Impa said.

"Uh...But it sounds like it...or they have...Raven, Ravio, Bartholomew, Hasan...Link...Wait...His name is Link?" Sheik said.

Realizing that she read her mind, Impa thought to keep her defenses up as she wasn't sure if the girls were loyal to her anymore after their failure in the test. Sheik let out a small chuckle and said, "That's really a small trifle to suddenly betray you or anything."

"Yeah, like we're not mad at you or anything. I'm more mad at Meg...trying to kill my dreams..." Midna said.

"On killing...which is a morbid aspiration to have..." Sheik muttered.

"And are you okay? It's never this easy to read your mind," Fiona said, paying attention to Impa.

Impa sighed and told the girls as much as she deemed necessary about Link. After telling them of his malady, Midna said, "Yeah, that sounds like a curse, a really vile one."

"So, I have a proposition for you all," Impa said.

The girls listened in and Impa told them, "I want you all to research this curse. I need to know its name, any incantations and what to do to exorcise it out of him."

"Okay. But where can we find something on curses like that?" Fiona asked.

"We could try the library, but I doubt we'll find anything as the last pontiff of the temples asked for the emperor's great-grandmother to destroy books on that," Sheik said.

"Then you three are going to have to be resourceful. That is one of the things that the Shadow Corps is known for," Impa told them.

The three agreed to do so, leaving the room the way they came in. Once alone, Impa headed for a small desk across her bed. Taking off her boots and socks, relieving her tired feet from the boots' confines, Impa pulled out some paper and a pen. She started writing, addressing the letter to someone in Hytopia.

* * *

 _And there's the new and improved chapter 11. So, Link's getting worse and Impa and the others are trying as much as they can to help. But will it work? Stay tuned!_

 _-miano53_


	12. Chapter 12: Limited Answers

_"You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you? Now don't think me rude, but I have been following you... For I know of a way to return you to your former self."_

 _-a mask salesman_

Chapter Twelve: Limited Answers

 _3 Rauru 1015, Aboda Village, Nodor Household..._

"You're doing WHAT?" Agitha yelled.

Aryll, packing her things in a small traveler's pack, ignored her twin as she assaulted her with questions after telling her that she was leaving. She asked if her sister had lost it, but Aryll refused to answer. The girl packed things such as three small bottles filled with Red Potions, a wallet filled with 100 rupees, a few clothing essentials and some dried meats. To prepare for her journey, the girl donned a white travel dress along with a black shirt underneath the dress, thick, black leggings, snow boots and a leather armor overlay she "borrowed" from her mother's armor collection. She grabbed her thick winter parka, white in color and her hat and gloves and put them on. Seemingly ready, the girl headed for the home's entrance and Agitha grabbed her arm as she opened the door.

"What are you doing? Why are you leaving?" Agitha asked.

"I already told you. I'm leaving to go find Link. He's not doing well all by himself. He can't be," Aryll said.

"So, what? You're just gonna drop everything and move to Hylia City? But you're only 12 years old and you can't live anywhere by yourself. That's illegal!" Agitha said.

"Well, Groose, Karane and Pipit are going too. So you can either come with us or you can stay here," Aryll said.

She was released by her sister and Aryll left the home. Once outside, she headed for the marketplace where Groose, Karane and Pipit waited. They were buying weapons and provisions and only told the other villagers of their returning to the mines and border wall. When they spotted Aryll, she only said that she was going to see them off.

To her surprised, most of the shopkeepers believed her, despite what her brother had done to the village two weeks ago. When the trio were ready, they checked their equipment, weapons and provisions.

Karane was dressed in her usual light green winter armor, a poncho over her clothes to keep her extra warm. She armed herself with an iron bow and its quiver was on her back, holding about 20 arrows. Around her waist was a belt that held a few pouches and she carried small potions bottles and her wallet, the amount Aryll didn't bother to ask about.

Pipit also had his usual yellow garb on, but he added another layer of protection by buying a set of leather armor to wear over it. He was armed with a simple knight's longsword and an iron shield. He also had a pouches on his belt with a wallet full of rupees and dried foodstuffs.

Groose wore a warmer variant of his usual blue, green and white attire. Like Pipit, he also chosen to wear leather armor over his clothes. But he armed himself with a crossbow. Bolts were in a small quiver at his waist, but they glowed with a pale green color.

He handed Aryll a short iron sword and a small wooden shield. Aryll stared at it with great confusion, asking, "Uh...Why this?"

"Well, you're pretty good with a sword. I've seen ya spar before and ya need a weapon," Groose told her.

Aryll took it in uncertainty, not sure if her swordplay was all that great. Ready, the four headed to the stables, hitched Epona to a small wagon and headed for the town gate. Before they could leave, someone yelled, "WAIT!"

Agitha came running towards them, also dressed in travel gear and in a blue parka. She carried two books in her arms and Aryll asked, "What? Why are you here?"

"I'm going with you," she told her.

"Huh? You're coming with us? Even though you hate him?" Pipit asked.

"Don't get me wrong. I'm only going to prove Aryll and you guys wrong. Link's not going to recover and I don't see how he will. So, I'll just go with you guys, prove you wrong, and scout out schools there that can teach me more magic," Agitha said.

Groose shook his head, Pipit shrugged, Aryll frowned up and Karane said, "Well, more the merrier, right? Just don't be too much of a killjoy, okay?"

She made no such promises and climbed into the back of the wagon. Aryll did the same, along with Karane and Pipit while Groose elected to drive. With a small whack, and Epona neighing in annoyance, the wagon took off, heading into the snow.

* * *

 _9 Rauru 1015, second day of the week, Link's room..._

"Maybe by tomorrow, the sun is gonna glow! And maybe by tomorrow, not gonna stub my toe! Or maybe by tomorrow, the snow is gonna blow!" Link sung.

Impa, sitting in her usual chair, watched as he was on the floor, laying down on his back. He looked up at the ceiling and suddenly burst into a fit of singing. A large grin was on his face and Impa said, "You're in a good mood today. What gives?"

Link turned his head to face her. She came in alone as Osfala went to study more on the boy's mental state. He grinned and said, "I don't know why, but I'm really happy today."

"Oh...Hello there, 'Ravio'," Impa said, realizing that the boy still didn't return to his original self.

"Ravio" gave another grin and greeted the Sheikah. Impa returned it and asked, "Well, Osfala's not here, so I'll be here to observe you today."

"Oh. Okay. Um…So, who are you?" "Ravio" asked.

"We've been over this already," Impa said.

"I know that. I mean…um…Who _is_ 'Impa Kaji'?" "Ravio" asked.

Impa stared at the boy, thinking his persona was about to change. When it didn't and he was still the timid-but-friendly "Ravio", Impa eased up a bit. She gave a small smile and said, "Well, I'm Impa Kaji. I'm 47 years old and I work for the empire."

"As what?" "Ravio" asked.

"I work to protect the empire's citizens from the shadows, like any loyal Sheikah would. Anyway, I've worked for the empire as long as I can remember. I've always done my duties, hardly ever shirking from them and my duties now are to protect you as His Majesty wants me to," Impa told him.

"Why? I'm nobody," "Ravio" asked.

Impa didn't want to divulge any more information and asked, changing the subject, "What about you? Who and what is 'Ravio'?"

"Me? Oh…Um…I'm 'Ravio' and I like money. I like counting it and having it. Rupees are really important, y'know?" "Ravio" told her.

"I know. But is that it? You just like money? You're not going to tell me how old you are? Or where you came from?" Impa asked.

"Ravio" looked confused and started making quick glances around the room. Fear was on his features and he suddenly said "Wh-Wh-Where am I? I-I-I can-can't remember…M-M-Miss I-Im-Impa?"

Impa sighed and said, "Hello there, Link Nodor. Welcome back."

Link gave a sigh of relief and the Sheikah asked, "Where did you go?"

"Um…I-I…I-I don't re-remember. W-What ha-happened?" Link asked her.

She told him how he was "gone" for almost three weeks. He would constantly shift personas and his psychiatrist, Osfala, would say how dangerous they were. Link was frightened and asked, "S-So h-how….how c-c-can…?"

He started getting frustrated, his stutters becoming uncontrollable again. Impa nodded, reading his mind to figure out what he wanted to say. She then told him, "You should probably follow the advice you were given by the one called Oni, putting notes around the room and telling them things."

"S-So…j-just t-t-tell t-them…?" Link asked.

"Anything that will help ease your drastic persona shifts until we can find a way to permanently bring your personas under your control," Impa told him

Link's demeanor suddenly changed and he asked, "So, you're gonna get rid of me?"

Based on his tone and glare, Impa said, "And there's your aggressive side…"

He stood to his feet and Impa saw his eyes rapidly change colors, along with his personality and voice. Something started glowing on the back of his left hand and he bellowed, "You're not taking me away! You're not taking any of us away!"

'Us?' Impa thought.

She jumped out of her seat, jumping to her right as Link, or whatever it was, lunged for her. The Sheikah put a hand on her _naginata,_ ready to hit the boy with the blunt end. He glared at here with glowing, gold eyes and she could see something triangle-shaped on the back of his left hand.

"You can't! You won't! I…I…!" "Link" said.

He suddenly cried out in pain, clutching his head and falling to the floor. The boy seized violently and Impa was about to call for help when she heard several pops. His uncontrollable tremors ceased and he was motionless for several moments. A feeling of uneasy crept up in Impa's heart and she heard a small snarl. Link's body jerked slightly and another pop was heard.

She carefully approached him and pulled out a small potion bottle. It was filled with purple potion and was said to help with epileptic seizures. Impa remembered that Link refused to take it most of the time and subjected himself to such malaise. Another snarl drew her attention back to the unconscious Link and she was about to resume her cautious approach when the door swung open.

"Lady Impa! We heard a scream! Oh no! Not again!" one of the two nurses said, coming in with her co-worker.

The second nurse looked at Link and he asked Impa, "Milady, he hasn't been taking that potion, correct?"

The man, a tall Hylian-Sheikah "half-breed", lifted up the boy and placed him back on the bed. He checked the boy's pulse and Impa told him, "I've tried to convince him many times, Riku. But, he will not heed me."

The other, a young, raven-haired transplant from Holodrum named Iris, looked at Link and told Impa, "Don't worry. He'll wake up soon. And when he does, he'll have to take the medicine."

"Yes, seizures can be fatal and if they persist this violently, then…" Riku added.

"I know. But how can…?" Impa asked.

The three heard Link moaned and he muttered, "I-Impa…D-Don't…l-leave…"

He passed out again and fell victim to another seizure. Impa could only watch as the two nurses tended to him.

* * *

" _Heika, aren't you going to eat?" a younger Impa asked._

 _She watched as His Majesty, the emperor, sat on the bed in his bedroom and didn't move for anyone. It had been two months since the assassination of both the empress and the princess. Due to the disaster, the capital was put on high alert and no one was allowed to leave or enter the city. The castle's security became even tighter and even those that guarded Ganondorf were placed under scrutiny._

 _The 37-year-old was among them as the traitorous commander of the Shadow Corps, Yosuke Sasanuma, was her mentor. He had set the princess's chamber ablaze and killed Empress Jamilah and her retinue that tried to rescue her. He was close to killing His Majesty, but was thwarted by Ghirahim, a squire brought into the palace along with his little sister three years ago._

 _After the funeral processions and cease-fires declared from Labrynna and Holodrum, Ganondorf was still inconsolable. He had refused to see anyone and most days didn't get out of bed. He even refused to eat, worrying people like Chancellor Cole._

" _Heika, you have to eat. The empire will suffer if we lose you too," Impa told him._

" _It will not. My sister can rule in my stead," Ganondorf muttered, his hazel eyes glazed over in sadness._

" _Well, she's already trying to keep everyone together since you're still mourning. But…Heika, do you believe that Jamilah or Din-hime would want you to mourn them forever?" Impa asked._

 _The 32-year-old emperor looked up at his guardian. Impa knelt at his bedside and asked, "Do you think they would want you to stay sad forever or do you think they would want you to move on and live for them?"_

" _I…It's too soon to move on, Impa. You understand, right? Your family was wiped out like mine…but by monsters," Ganondorf told her._

" _Yes. And I had no choice but to move on quickly as holding on to the sadness of their loss prevents their moving on," Impa told him, referring to an old Sheikah superstition._

 _The man sighed and said, "I don't think I could move on…My heart won't let me…"_

* * *

 _That night, Impa's chambers…_

After watching the boy suffer another four seizures, the total being six that day, and having the nurses nearly force feed him the purple potion, Impa sat at her desk, speaking with Dame Lydia on Link's condition. The mother was very sad and asked, "So, he's…he's getting worse?"

"Yes. But I'm sure he'll start feeling better once the purple potion's effects take affect. But Lydia, I'm afraid that you were on the right road in figuring out what is happening with him," Impa told her.

"What? He's possessed?" Lydia asked.

"Almost, but he maybe cursed with something horrible. Same premise but different means," Impa replied.

"So, do you know how to rid him of the evil?" Lydia asked, the Sheikah Stone glowing a bright green with every word.

"Not yet. I have people working on it. I'm sure they'll come with a way in a few days. Until then, his nurses will keep him sedated and have him take the purple potions," Impa informed her.

Lydia sighed and said, "Do whatever it takes to save him."

Before the magic could dissipate from the crystal, the woman asked her Sheikah friend, "Um…And…um…have you seen band of children in the city, riding with a horse-drawn wagon?"

"No. Are you saying…Your children, they're headed here?" Impa asked.

"H-How did you…?" Lydia asked.

"My powers are strong and can be amplified using things such as this Sheikah Stone. Hmm…If I see them, I will be sure to send them back to Snowpeak," Impa told her.

Lydia gave her thanks and the stone turned back to its usual dark green. Impa sighed and felt a presence in the room. She turned around and said, "Show yourself. Stop hiding in the shadows."

She saw Midna jump down from the ceiling and the girl clumsily landed on her backside. The Twili looked up and said, "Ow…Um…Well, I found something and Byrne gave me this."

The girl handed her mentor a letter and the name Madame Couture was on it. Impa gave Midna a small smile and asked, "Did you ask Byrne for help?"

Midna, embarrassed after falling and failing to find information on her own, stood to her feet and said, "Yeah. I did…Sorry."

Impa opened the letter and asked, "So, what did he say?"

"Byrne said that he would do some research on all the known curses. And Fi and Sheik said they found something on some of the old curses. One of them is known as the 'Four Swords' curse, where if one casted it at their enemy, they would shatter into four pieces," Midna said.

Impa suppressed a shudder as her mind wandered to someone being able to modify such a curse. After getting her mind from such a dark place, she started reading Madame Couture's letter.

" _Hello Impa, I read your letter and from what you're telling me, that child is suffering from a most ancient, dark curse. That curse is called the Animi Fracti. It was only used by those deemed a great threat to the old royal family of Hyrule and casted by the most powerful of Sheikah sorcerers, splitting their enemies and even turning them into monsters. I heard that the first emperor used it on the would-be Kingslayer when he attacked. But I digress."_

" _That curse is a modification of the 'Four Swords' curse and enhanced further by potent Shadow magic. That would be the reason why the boy is suffering seizures, the unnatural magic that's coursing through his body. Anyway, he would need to find something powerful, something that can break darkness and restore light within him. There was something that could do it with ease, but it's been lost to history."_

" _The only alternatives I know of is finding a Light Spirit spring or by using light-filled object such as Light or Silver Arrows. But the latter would probably be used if the legends are true and the boy turns into a monster…Uh…But I've also heard that playing certain songs could help. If only you knew a tune. Pity…Anyway that is all I know on that curse. Call me next time on the Gossip Stone instead of sending a letter next time…Madame Couture,"_ Impa read.

The Sheikah rolled her eyes, finding that the fashion icon, as well as powerful witch, of the empire didn't have any exact answers.

'So, we have about three ways to go about this. We can find a Spirit's Spring, but the Light Spirits all vanished after the empire came to be,' Impa thought.

"So what did Madame Couture say? Is she making us new outfit? Because I could use another battle outfit," Midna asked.

The two then heard, "Madame Couture's making us new outfit?! We're all getting cool outfits?!"

Fiona came falling into the room after opening the door. Her brother, Ghirahim, rolled his eyes and said, "Fi, I told you that it's not good to eavesdrop on Impa. And why do you need another outfit?"

Impa looked at her ward, the newly appointed into the Shadow Corps Ghirahim Manjhi. The boy, a tall, medium build, platinum blonde around 17 years old, gave another huff. The half-Twili, half-Hylian "half-breed" wore something simple compared to his usual dark grey and leotard and black cape combo. That attire he wore at the time was black dress shirt, pants and boots, giving him the appearance of a palace worker than a member of the Corps. Impa was a bit shocked that he wasn't wearing the makeup he was known for wearing. He claimed it distracted his enemies and it did work, most of the time.

'Well, he does bring it on himself wearing makeup like that…' Impa thought.

"I do NOT! Seriously, can't I be expressive? And besides, the ladies here love when I look my best," Ghirahim yelled, apparently hearing the Sheikah's thoughts.

"Sure if looking your best makes you androgynous…" Midna muttered.

Ghirahim glared, but Impa thought he looked better without the makeup and crazy things he would do to his appearance. But, Ghirahim had always been a wild child. Always striving for some kind of attention, especially after Impa found out his and Fi's origins.

"I don't want to ever remember him…not after what he did…" Ghirahim said darkly.

Impa knew he was referring to his father, Lord Agahim Manjhi. The man left Ghirahim and Fiona orphaned and destitute when Fi was about eight months old. Even then, the man wasn't a great person to be around as he was constantly drunk and gambled most of the Manjhi family's money away. When he died, most nobility in the empire didn't mourn for him as he had married a Twili, who died after giving birth to Fi.

"And he would blame my mom and me on his lost status whenever he was drunk. So, can you please not think or even speak about him…ever again?" Ghirahim asked.

Impa nodded, switching her thoughts back on poor Link. The boy probably only had a few months at most to live if they couldn't find a way to break the curse. Fi interrupted her thoughts, asking, "So, are we getting new outfits?"

"No, Fi. You're not getting a new outfit. I've already had to pay for your last three," Ghirahim told her.

Fiona whined and said, "But we could convince her to lower the price. I really want to get that Torrent Robe she made in Hylia Girl Weekly. Please? Please? Please? It's only 600 rupees!"

He refused and the two started arguing. Fi claimed that he never wanted her to have anything. Ghirahim retorted, stating all the times he paid for what she wanted. Impa couldn't help but chuckle as the scene was quite funny.

Midna, however, wanted to go back on the subject of Link's malaise. After quieting the two, explaining to Ghirahim what happened, and then turning the attention back to Impa, the Twili said, "And that's what we're working on."

"So, this kid's cursed? That's terrible…" the Twili half-breed said.

Fi nodded and said, "So, do you know how to remove something like that?"

"Nope. Did you try speaking with Madame Couture? Or even Master Ezlo?" Ghirahim asked.

"I've asked the Madame, but she gave me few exact answers. We have three possibilities, though. And no, I do not wish to bring too many more people into this as it is not a priority of the empire," Impa said.

"But the emperor's footing the medical bills for that kid. Seems like it's a priority for us now," Ghirahim said.

Impa shook her head and said, "He originally assigned it to me only, but after what I saw with that child, I figured that a bit of outside help was necessary."

"I thought we were supposed to work alone," Fiona said.

"You can ask for help whenever necessary, but you shouldn't depend on help all the time. That is one of the tenants of the Shadow Corps," Impa told her.

Midna nodded and said, "Yeah, 'cause that same 'help' would try to kill you later…"

"Anyway. I wish to keep this between us, Sheik, Byrne and His Majesty. So, if you find anything, and I mean anything on the subject of the 'Animi Fracti', alert me. Do not speak with anyone else on this. Understood?" Impa said.

The group nodded in agreement and each left the same way they came in.

* * *

 _And now Link's malaise has gotten worse and Ghirahim's in the know. But this Ghirahim, like Ganondorf, Midna and Fi, is much, much different than the original. Unlike the one who was Demise's weapon, this guy will be a much more caring, if not overly protective of his sister, soul._

 _-miano53_


	13. Chapter 13: Escaping

" _This swordsman of ours has great eyes, honey. They're proud and wild...like a feral beast._ _"_

 _-Telma, Resistance Leader_

Chapter Thirteen: Escaping

 _6 Rauru 1015, ice caves southern entrance…_

"Guys, be careful!" Karane called out.

Aryll, Groose and Pipit took their time climbing out of the caves all while helping Epona, the wagon and Agitha, who had nearly fallen into the icy waters. They arrived in what looked to be a tributary where the icy river split into three. One led downstream, towards the frozen Lake Hylia according to Agitha. Another led back to the ice caves while a third led to northern Hyrule field.

An old road leading to the fields ran along the southern branch. With trepidation, as parts of it had worn away long ago and exposed parts of the icy river, the party of five walked along the path. There were a few slips every now and then, but the five made it to the snowy fields of northern Hyrule proper.

Snow mounds and snow-covered pine trees were far as the eye can see for Aryll. She saw the river flowing down towards a town connected by a lone stone bridge. It looked about a few miles from their position and she thought they would go there next.

In the distance was the large spires of the Northern Palace. It was a sign that one was close to the capital, despite the place being nearly 60 miles away from their position. Due to the height of the tower and the way the capital was built, most areas within the area of Hyrule could see the spires. Even in certain areas of Snowpeak, one could see them.

Snowflakes fell down from the cloudy skies, landing on the frigid ground slowly. The temperature seemed to be a bit warmer than in the mountains, but it was still very cold to Aryll, despite her wearing a large parka and other mountain gear.

"Okay, so where to next?" Pipit asked.

"I'm tired. Can't we rest in that town downriver?" Karane asked, looking exhausted.

"Yeah, we were practically in those caves for days 'cause Miss Karane thought going left at that fork in the road was a good idea. Can't we take a break?" Groose asked.

Karane huffed and Aryll was about to object, believing that they could make it to the capital if they just pushed themselves. She suppressed a yawn as they could only rest for small intervals at a time those few days. Agitha, on the other hand, said, "We should go there as we're nearly out of food, potions and ammo. And I'm sure that you guys need to get your weapons patched up after that ambush by that White Wolfos pack."

Aryll faced her sister, shocked that she would sound…reasonable. Not wanting to object anymore as she was very tired, Aryll hopped into the back of the wagon and joined in agreement to head to the next town, the river town of Mido.

* * *

 _10 Rauru 1015, Link's cell, early morning…_

" _You're not taking any of us away! Never!"_

Link's eyes shot open and he sat up in his bed as he sworn he heard someone talking. They sounded very angry and the voice sounded similar to his. Scared, he looked around, feeling an odd presence in the room.

"I-Is…t-th-there s-s-someone there?" he asked.

"Oh. I guess you're back to normal."

Someone in black jumped down from the ceiling and Link nearly fell out of his bed. The person, a teenaged girl, stood from her landing position, as she had landed someone clumsily. She scanned him with vibrant, red eyes and fear were in them. Long, red hair went down her back and a black leotard covered her body. At the left side of her waist was a sword, but something felt off about it.

"Wh-Who…?" Link started.

"I'll save you a few stutters since Lady Impa said you really stutter badly. I'm Midna. Midna Notti and I'm to observe you today. I thought it'd be best to do so while in the shadows, since Lady Impa said you have a personality disorder. That and you're cursed with something really evil that's causing your seizures and weird personas showing themselves," the girl, Midna, told him.

Link's vision faded and he heard someone say something really off to Midna. He shook his head as he came back to himself and saw Midna's jaw agape. Meekly, Link asked, "Di-did…D-Did I…?"

"Yeah. You just called me Twili Trash…Yeah…um…And you had a weird accent and sounded much older…Seriously, what was that about?" Midna said.

"I'm-I'm s-s-sorry…" Link said.

A searing headache started to plague him and he heard another voice ask if Midna knew someone named Zant. He shook his head again and the girl asked, "How do you know about that usurper? Only Twili know about him, mainly as a warning not to be like him."

"I…I-I-I do-don't know…! Augh!" Link said, grabbing his head as another headache, worse than the last, came on.

He shut his eyes, trying to stop the pain. Two other voices, one sounding much more mature and other sounding a bit childish, asked Midna if Lady Impa was to return and if she would help him paint the room. Link opened his eyes and saw Midna in a corner.

She was shaking, but tried to keep a straight face. With trepidation, the Twili asked, "Uh...kid…Are you…Um…Are you back now? Man, how could Lady Impa deal with all this?"

"I…I'm…I'm…I d-d-don't know wh-what's going on. I just…I just…," Link stammered, the migraine becoming unbearable.

He collapsed, falling out of the bed and hitting his head. The boy's consciousness faded again as he hit his head really hard. As it did, he heard something akin to animalistic growling and someone speaking in very angry tones.

* * *

"Uh…Lady Impa, I think I'll be turning in now. You didn't tell me this Link kid was this crazy," Midna said, watching as the blonde Hylian clutched his head in pain.

He cried out, saying something about how he didn't know what was going on. Seconds later, he passed out, falling out of the bed and hitting his head rather hard on the floor. Midna gasped, rushed for him and pulled out a purple potion, expecting the boy to convulse.

Instead, his eyes shot open and he clamped his fanged mouth on her right arm.

"The heck? Since when did he have fangs?" Midna wondered in horror.

He snarled as his sharpened teeth bit through her leotard and skin, drawing blood. Terrified and fearing for her life, the Twili started hitting him in the head. It didn't work and instead caused him to clap down even harder.

"Let go! Let me go!" she yelled, resorting to punching him.

The boy kept growling, his fierce, bestial red eyes glared at her. Using her whip sword, she swung at his head, cutting his face and forcing him to release her. Her arm bleeding profusely, Midna backed away and started teleporting out of the room. Just as she did, Link lunged for her, grabbed her waist and the two disappeared from the room in a shower of black pixels.

* * *

 _Hylia City, 2_ _nd_ _tier rooftops…_

Midna and the feral Link landed on an apartment building's rooftop in Hylia City's 2nd tier and the stench of the borough filled the Twili's nostrils. Another snarl brought her out of her distraction and she saw the feral one stumbling around, trying to rid himself of the stench. Seeing her chance to flee, Midna rushed for the edge, only for something to slice the back of her left leg. She fell, hitting her chin and coming too close to a hole in the roof.

"Hee-heh…"

The Twili saw Link suddenly appear in front of her. He knelt down, watching her with a bit of fascination with his still red eyes. The bestial appearance of them faded, replaced with a burning anger and cruelty. He wiped his mouth as her blood was around it.

"At least that was useful in getting me out of there," "Link" said, a malicious grin on his face.

"What…? Who…?" Midna said,

"The name's Yami," "Link" or "Yami" said.

He rubbed the wound on his face and his grin turned into an eerie smile. Blood was on it and Midna started backing away. She fumbled for her Sheikah Stone and channeled magic into it. "Yami" laughed and said, "When did this…? You struck me? Heh-heh. You're not as weak as I thought. Much stronger than that wimp."

"'Wimp'? What wimp?" Midna said, trying to get to her feet.

She yelped as she couldn't put much weight on her leg. "Yami" grinned and said, "Well, I guess I'll count that as payback for slashing my face."

'But you bit me first, you…!' Midna thought.

" _Midna, where are you? Oh. You're in the 2_ _nd_ _tier. Here I come!"_

The Twili heard the voice of Sheik and, moments later, a shadow appeared behind "Yami". He apparently felt a presence and swiftly turned around, swinging a fist in that direction. Sheik grabbed his left arm as he was in mid-swing and punched the boy in the stomach. She then pinned him down and asked, "Midna, you alright?"

"No! He got my arm and leg!" Midna said.

A soft light appeared at Midna's left and Fiona appeared. She handed her a Red Potion and stood in front of her in a defensive manner after doing so. The Twili thanked her and drunk the contents. Her leg and arm were mostly restored and she stood to her feet.

"Yami" glared and released many snarls as he struggled to get Sheik off of him. Fi pulled out her Sheikah Stone and channeled magic into it. The voice of Impa was heard and the girl told her, "Yeah, Lady Impa. We found him. He had hurt Midna and he's growling like an animal right now. Sheik's pinned him down, but I don't think she can hold him down for long. So, please come!"

The winds suddenly picked up and the temperature plummeted. Midna spotted something glowing on his left hand and the girls heard, _"You're not…You're not taking me back there!"_

His entire body started to glow and an unknown force pushed Sheik off of him. He stood to his feet and the winds encircled him. Runes appeared on his glowing body and the figure glared at them with ever-changing- eyes. He screamed, his voice changing to that of a chorus, saying various things in gibberish.

Snow and ice surrounded the three and Sheik yelled, "Jump!"

The girls leapt into the air, effectively jumping off the roof, and Midna heard the figure bellow, _"Ether!"_

The entire top of the building was suddenly encased in ice and the glowing figure fled, jumping with ease from rooftop to rooftop. Midna was about to give chase when Sheik stopped her.

"No. Don't," she said.

"Why not? We can't let him loose like that! What if he kills someone?" Midna asked.

Sheik shook her head and said, "We must report back."

"Yeah. That thing that was glowing on his hand…" Fi said.

"Not here," Sheik warned, looking around as some of the residents had started leaving for work.

Midna grabbed Fi, while Sheik placed a hand on her shoulder and the three disappeared, returning to the palace.

* * *

 _Hours later, Southern Hyrule Fields, 10 miles from the capital gates…_

Link opened his eyes, finding himself in a snow covered field. The place was rather empty, save for a few ruins that looked oddly familiar. One of them was a wooden bridge in the middle of the field. It was frozen over and a new layer of light snow covered it like dust. He remembered going over there to grab a chest that was underneath it, despite never leaving Snowpeak.

Behind him was a road that led back to the capital, but something told him not to return. Bare deciduous trees were iced over and were seemingly dead due to the millennium long winter in Hyrule. In the west was a gate that was rusted over. In the east, there was a road that led to a frozen mountain off in the distance. While in the south were dark clouds and a feeling of evil.

Freezing, Link tried to stand to get his bearings, only to fall on all fours. He checked to see why and found that he was barefoot. The white clothes he wore were tattered and looked stretched out. There was a bit of blood splatter on them and Link started to panic.

'Did…Did I…? No. No, I couldn't have,' he thought, frantically checking himself.

He felt pain coming from the bridge of his nose and underneath both eyes. He felt a scab running from the right side of his face, across the bridge of his nose to the left side. After a few moments, Link finally found the strength to stand.

Once standing, the images of someone biting a red-haired girl in black. The girl slashed them in the face and Link touched the scab. He then realized that he had bitten someone and that someone was the newcomer, Midna.

'I…I…I didn't…Why did I do that? She…She didn't do anything. She was just…She was just trying to,' Link thought.

A blinding headache seized him and Link fell back to the snow covered ground, clutching his head in pain. It didn't feel at all like the ones before as it felt as if his head was being split into pieces. That was followed by his body suddenly being racked with so much pain, he thought he was being ripped apart.

" _What is going on? Why am I…?"_

A loud pop was heard and felt, followed by several more. The boy fainted while his body convulsed violently moments later.

* * *

 _Northern Palace, secret chamber…_

"So, you say that you have found the location of the Triforce of Courage, did you not?" a very short-in-stature, red-haired man in green asked.

Midna, standing near a round table with Sheik and Fi, nodded and watched the odd man wearing two, small, green top hats on his head smile creepily. The man, sitting down across from their standing position, was joined by a Twili woman in fancy clothes, to whom Midna remembered as Lady Veran Dominico. At Lady Veran's left was one of the teachers for the Shadow Corps, Byrne Hayabusa, and to his left was Lady Impa. At the odd, short man's right was the imposing General Onox Draklor and to his right was the ambassador to Hytopia as well as Madame Couture's older sister, Lady Maud Nachel. All at the table were a part of the empire's "Council of Six" and were incredibly important for country's day-to-day operations.

The man wearing two top hats asked the girls the question again, to which Sheik answered, "Yes, Chancellor Cole. We believe we may have located it."

"You either found it or you didn't. Which is it?" Lady Veran asked harshly.

"We did, but it kinda went away," Fi said.

"What do ya mean?" General Onox bellowed.

She yelped and hid behind Midna, the large man scaring her. Midna sighed and said, "A boy that escaped from Sunnyside Hospital had it. We were pursuing him when he attacked."

"Yes and while he attacked, I saw the emblem appear on his hand. He then started using ancient magic as the spell he attacked us with was the fabled 'Ether' ice spell," Sheik told them.

Lady Impa and Byrne's eyes went wide, but only for a moment. Her face like stone, Lady Impa asked, "Are you sure that it was the Triforce of Courage?"

"Yes as the symbol of the Relic appeared and the bottom right triangle started glowing before the whole mark did. As we said, he attacked and fled from us after using powerful magic. I advised Midna and Fi from going after him," Sheik asked.

"Why?" Chancellor Cole asked.

"As I said, it was too dangerous to pursue. But we did see him leave the 2nd tier, heading south," Sheik replied.

The four out of the six seemed pleased with her reply and asked no further questions. Lady Impa and Byrne seemed relieved, their body postures relaxing a bit. That is, until Chancellor Cole said, "Byrne, I trust that the new squad is ready to pursue."

Byrne nodded and said, "Of course, sir. But do you wish to capture or kill on sight?"

Midna's eyes went wide at the question. There was no real reason to kill the guy, she thought. Even if he did slice her leg and bite her…

"No. He must be captured with all haste as His Majesty wishes to have the complete Triforce. So far, there hasn't been any luck these past 10 years, just rumors and fleeting sightings. But now that we have a confirmed holder, we'll make the emperor's dreams a reality," Lady Veran replied.

Fi, not getting it, asked, "Um, what dreams?"

"He wishes to revive his beloved daughter and wife. You were barely four years old when it happened, but he lost them after a traitor tried to kill him," Lady Maud told her.

"Oh…um, that was when Ghira…" Fi said.

"Yep. Your brother saved the man's life! And that's why he's a part of our Shadow Corps and why I have high hopes for him!" General Onox said, his voice nearly rattling the grey walls of the place.

Midna remembered Lady Jamilah as the woman helped her after the girl lost her entire family to Hylian supremacists. She missed her, as anyone who knew the woman did, but she didn't think it was a good idea to bring back the dead. They were supposed to rest from their troubles after they've passed on, she thought.

"So, it's settle then. We'll send squads from the Shadow Corps to go after our elusive Triforce holder. And if he continued heading south, then he would've made it passed the city's gates by now," Chancellor Cole said.

Lady Impa spoke up and asked, "May I suggest something else?"

"What? We were going to actually agree on something after three months!" General Onox yelled.

"And whose fault is that?" Lady Veran asked, giving the giant of a general a side eye.

"Not mine!" the man retorted.

"The reason why we hadn't gotten anything done was because of you constantly asking for more troops to invade regions and taking away money that could be used to better the empire's fine arts…" Lady Maud said, glaring.

The two were about to argue again on the matter when Chancellor Cole loudly cleared his throat. The short man then said, his beady eyes giving the bickering duo a death stare, "Impa, what is it? What do you suggest instead of using our fine Shadow Corps?"

"Why don't we use the girls to go after him? They've seen who it was and they're very good trackers. Even though they're not in the Shadow Corps, their skills are quite exceptional," Lady Impa said, giving them a good report.

Fi blushed, Sheik turned away and a small smile crossed Midna's lips. That went away quickly as the chancellor refused the notion. He stated that only the best could go after Link and the best was in the Corps. The Council then decided to do so, ignoring Impa's request. The girls were then dismissed, leaving a bit bitter.

"So, no go on finding that guy?" Fiona asked.

"Seems that way…I guess no promotion or anything like that anytime soon," Midna said, defeated.

"Well…we could still go," Sheik said.

"What do you mean?" Fiona asked.

The Sheikah's thoughts entered their minds and she nodded.

" _We just go without them knowing. Like we'll just head off on our patrols as usual and just leave when we don't sense anyone watching,"_ Sheik's thoughts told them.

"But how?" Fi asked aloud.

Neither Midna nor Sheik replied to her and Midna pointed to her forehead.

" _We'll take on night patrol missions or something. Something and sometime where there aren't too many people watching us. And since they're sending the Corps, it'll be easier than usual…hopefully,"_ Midna's thoughts told the two.

Fiona nodded and said aloud, still refusing to use any form of telepathy, "Okay. Then we should be okay."

The girl skipped off, leaving an exasperated Sheik and sighing Midna.

* * *

 _And there's chapter 13. Link's condition is constantly getting worse and now the empire's after him. And Fi, unlike in SS, doesn't really use telepathic communication. I'm sure that'll be a bad thing in the future. :(_

 _-miano53_


	14. Chapter 14: Arrivals

_"_ _He who touches it will have whatever he desires granted... That is what you said, is it not? Gods of the Triforce! Hear that which I desire! Hope! I desire hope for these children! Give them a future! Wash away this ancient land! Let a ray of hope shine on the future of the world!_ _"_

 _-an ancient king_

Chapter Fourteen: Arrivals 

_Hylia City, 9 Rauru 1015, city gates, late night…_

After waiting in the river town of Mido for three days as a massive blizzard had rolled in, the party of Aryll, Agitha, Groose, Karane and Pipit arrived at the eastern gate of Hylia City. With Epona pulling the wagon, the group slowly made it to the iron gates, where Aryll gawked at the five tiers that made up the city. It looked kind of like a cake to her, with the palace being on the 5th and highest tier.

Pipit headed for the gate and peeked through a small window in the city's east wall. He smiled and said, "We're a party of five from Snowpeak Mountain. We would like passage into the city so we can visit a friend of ours in Sunnyside Hospital."

"Entrance visa?" the guard asked.

"'Entrance visa'? We're citizens of the empire. I don't think we would need one," Pipit retorted.

The guard, sticking his head out of the window, said, "You're from a different province. Only those with entrance visa and imperial stamps proving they live here can enter."

"So, how the heck is anyone supposed to get in?" Groose yelled.

"Go back home or else I'll call the…!" the guard threatened.

"I'll take care of this."

A white-haired woman in Sheikah garb appeared out of nowhere and Aryll immediately recognized her as Lady Impa Kaji. The guard yelped and said, "L-Lady Impa. W-What are you doing here? Uh, I mean, forgive me for not shooing away these common folk and half-breed from the gate."

Karane grumbled and Lady Impa told him, "Do not worry about it. Just let them in. I'll take responsibility for them."

The guard shrugged and the large, iron gate slowly opened up from the ground. Lady Impa led the party through, passing into a small tunnel and then outside in what looked like a massive stable area. Horse stalls, barrels of hay and dirt roads made up the area and the stench of multiple horse and their manure filled the air. Tall gas lamps illuminated the area and were near the stone walls, away from the hay and horse stalls. Shops for riders were available, selling things like bridles, saddles and other items used for riding. A lone, wooden gate was in the north and more guards stood watch.

Lady Impa led them to a smaller stall, talked with the owner and handed him a large gold rupee worth 300. Aryll never seen that much money at one time and it seemed the owner didn't either. The Sheikah returned to them, saying, "Mister Quill over there will hold that horse in his stalls for you all. I would suggest taking everything that you need out of your wagon as Sunnyside is a ways away. Here is the receipt for it."

She handed Pipit a small sheet of paper and ordered him to hold onto it. He agreed and the group took what they needed. After leading Epona into one of the stalls, bidding her goodbye, the five followed Impa into town.

* * *

 _The next morning…_

"And he's gone…" Aryll muttered, saddened.

The group arrived at the Sunnyside Hospital, located in the rising city's 3rd tier. After speaking with the receptionist, a guard led them to Link's chamber. As they walked through the all-white interior of the building, they passed by several more rooms, some of them locked, and they could hear the sound of people yelling. Near Link's room, they saw many panicked nurses running in and out of his room. When they approached them, they were told that Link suddenly disappeared. They hadn't a clue how he did so as the room's door was locked for the safety of the staff members.

When they asked about it, one of the nurses informed them that Link's condition gradually worsened as he refused to take any of the medicines they gave him. He was willing to talk with the psychiatrist under Lady Impa's supervision, but the nurses knew it was a ruse as the boy spoke clearly instead of the stutters he usually had.

"So, Link's still being stubborn…" Agitha muttered.

Aryll ignored her and asked, "So, what happened?"

"His persona would change drastically and even his physical state would alter. And for the past two weeks, he would change from one persona to the next. So far, four have shown themselves to us," the nurse told her.

"So, what happened?" Aryll asked him.

"That's what we're trying to find out. There's no way for him to leave," the nurse said.

"Hey! Tarin! Come over here!"

The nurse, Tarin rushed towards Link's former room and Agitha thought to leave. Since there was no point in them staying, the five left, heading outside. Once in front of the hospital, Karane asked, "What now? We don't know where he is and he hadn't left us any clues."

"We should head back to Snowpeak," Agitha suggested.

"No! We must find Link and bring him back. If not, then I'm afraid something worse is going to happen," Aryll said.

Agitha shook her head and said, "He's better off not being near people."

"What are you talking about? He's your brother, isn't he?" Pipit said.

The girl looked away and Groose said, "Well, I don't know about you guys, but I would like to explore this place. Especially most of us never left the mountains."

"Whatever. Just make sure to report back to the hotel when night falls. I don't want to go finding you all," Agitha said, leaving.

* * *

 _Northern Palace, throne room…_

Midna watched in the shadows behind a pillar as the many members of the Corps stood at attention, waiting on their orders. Ghirahim and Vaati were also in attendance, farther back from their senior counterparts. Vaati's face was on of steeled determination while Ghirahim's was one of annoyance. He checked his attire many times, quickly becoming bored.

The Twili shook her head and she remembered that Ghirahim was one to get quickly bored, especially if he had to wait on something or if a job was too mundane. He would get distracted at times, finding something to entertain him. He did just that, messing with a small ring, an heirloom of his family's, on his right ring finger.

Vaati noticed and mouthed at him to stop it and the elite forces saw their emperor stroll in. He was followed by a grinning Chancellor Cole and a scowling Lady Veran. Ganondorf sat on his rather ornate gold and iron throne. The combined symbols of Hylia and the Gerudo were on the head rest and the seat was covered by a small, red pillow.

"You all are wondering why I have call you all here. It has been reported by our younger trainees that the Triforce of Courage has finally resurfaced after 150 years. The last holder was a man named Raven Schultz of Holodrum. Before we could claim it back for Hyrule, he died in a skirmish with Hyrulian forces near Sunken City."

"The holder now is…is a son of a friend of mine. His name, Link Nodor. I want you all to capture him alive as the Triforce piece he has will disappear if he dies. Also…" the emperor said, pausing.

"Why should they bring him back here? Especially after the damage he did to that hospital," Lady Veran asked.

"He is to be brought back here, where we can safety extract the Triforce piece from him. Then, he will resume the treatment he so desperately needs," Ganondorf told her.

The woman turned away, the scowl not leaving her face. One of the members in front raised her hand and asked, "So, the boy is sick?"

"Yes, he is as he had a horrifying mental disorder. It leaves him vulnerable to fits and persona changes," Chancellor Cole said.

Midna wondered how he got that information as medical records on anyone was supposed to be sealed, according to the law anyway. Another raised their hand and asked, "So, along with the power his piece has, the boy is dangerous?"

"Yes he is. So exercise extreme caution when hunting," Lady Veran said.

Ganondorf rolled his eyes and a third asked, "But…isn't he…? Is he the 'Kingslayer' reborn or something? Only those who are his reincarnations hold…"

The emperor interrupted the man and said, "Not necessarily true. Two of the previous holders, Raven Schultz and Hasan Salamand were found not to be his reincarnations. The others were dealt with violently and took the Triforce of Courage out of our reach for ages."

Chancellor Cole then said, "Anyway, we have assigned Squads 1 through 4 to search the lands for our elusive Triforce holder."

The squads took their bows and disappeared. That left only the final two, Squads 5 and 6, and included the younger recruits. They took a few steps forward and Midna couldn't help but feel jealous as her rival, Meg, was among them. They bowed and Ganondorf told them, "You all have an even important mission ahead of you. And…it may cost you your life if you're not ready."

'Wait, what? I thought he was going to send them after…' Midna thought.

Vaati's face went from hardened determination to worry. He looked at Ghirahim, who was confused and asked, "Sir, what do you mean?"

"I mean that we have found a means to get into the Death Valley, formerly the Valley of Kings," Lady Veran said.

"Why are we going there? It's that suicide?" Meg asked.

'Yup,' Midna thought.

"Yeah! You want us to die?" Amy, Meg's younger sister, asked.

Ganondorf shook his head and said, "It was not my original intentions for you all to go. But after receiving information on how to enter, I deemed it necessary as you all are stronger, faster and more cunning than those I've sent to find the boy."

"Wh-What do you mean?" the silver-haired I-no asked.

"He means that we're sending you all for this mission. And since it is quite dangerous, I expect for you to know what to and how to prepare for a desert and volcanic region," Lady Veran said as I-no and her sister, Sue, were both her students.

Ganondorf then explained that there were eight temples within the empire that was channeling energy into the barrier that protected a palace located within Death Valley. Those who miraculously returned from the area saw the barricade protecting the entryway and anyone who tried to power through were killed instantly. It was said to have the power of the eight elemental magics powering it and the only way to do that was to syphon that power from the elemental temples.

"So, how could someone do such a thing? It would take incredible magical energy to do so…or some kind of device to direct that energy…" Vaati said.

"And that is where this information comes in. Our forces stationed in the southern forests entered the ancient Forest Temple and found something rather spectacular," Chancellor Cole said.

He didn't say anything for a few moments as he rubbed his hands menacingly. Lady Veran sighed and said, "He means that they found such a device, something called a Medallion. The Medallion holds the power of the lost Forest Sage and holds the ability to use Forest Magic. And since they saw a beam of that energy flowing in the direction of the valley, they were wise to contact us instead of cutting off the beam themselves."

"Yes. And thus you all will be split up into eight teams. One team will head for the southern forests. The second will head for the heart of Death Mountain. The third will venture towards the frozen Lake Hylia. Our fourth team will enter the underground caverns of Kakariko City."

"The fifth will head for the Arbiter Grounds as several Gerudo tribes reported seeing the sigil of the Spirit Medallion there. The sixth will go into the southeastern forests near Hytopia as there were reports of the ancient Temple of Light appearing there. The seventh will head for Headstone Island in the southern Great Sea as Temple of Earth is located there, but deep underground. The last, our eight group, will head for the City in the Sky above the Isle of Gust in the northern Great Sea and their Palace of Winds," His Majesty explained.

"You all are to head there, covertly, sever the beams of magic that powers the Great Palace's barrier and return here with the Medallions. Also, you are not to harm any of your allies as we need all of you to venture into the Palace. You will receive your group assignments from Lady Impa and Byrne. You all are dismissed," Chancellor Cole told them.

The squads bowed again and disappeared into shadow. Pleased, Chancellor Cole turned to his emperor and said "See? What did I tell you? I told you that we would find a way in."

"But to use children? I don't see much sense in this," Ganondorf told him.

"Bah, it's not like any of them have families to return to. And even if they die, you will have the power to bring them back with the completed Triforce," the chancellor said.

The emperor sighed and asked on the whereabouts of the Triforce of Wisdom. Lady Veran looked disappointed and said, "The squads have searched Hytopia, but nothing turned up, save for a lot of angry representatives."

"And you sent your people to the Great Sea, the border village in Holodrum and Labrynna and even parts of Termina. And still you've found nothing! You are useless as…!" Chancellor Cole yelled.

Lady Veran glared at him and said, "I do hope your remember your place, short man, as I outrank you. I am from the powerful Dominico clan and I will not have you yelling at me like…!"

"No. I outrank you as I am the chancellor of this great empire! His Majesty is too lenient with you nobles and but I am...!" the chancellor argued.

"I outrank both of you, so be quiet!" His Majesty said, silencing the two.

After the duo fell silent, he ordered them to leave. Once gone, the man got up from his throne, scanned his surroundings and said, "You can show yourself."

'How did he know I was here? Pretty sure I hid myself well this time,' Midna thought.

She stepped out of her hiding spot and into the light. The Twili greeted her emperor, to which the man gave a small smirk.

"I see you're getting better at hiding your presence from others, including those high in rank in the Corps. I don't know whether or not I should be worried or congratulate you," he told her.

"Oh…Um…Well…I was…I was just trying to see…" Midna said, stammering as she always got nervous around the large Gerudo male.

He understood, saying, "You wish to help out that boy? The Triforce of Courage holder? You're worried about him, is that it?"

"No! He attacked me! No, I'm not worried at all! I just want a promotion or something since Megara left me for dead during the exam," Midna said.

Ganondorf placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "If you, Sheik and Fiona beat the Shadow Corps in finding Link and bringing him back safe and sound, I'll see if I can get Impa to retest you."

"How did you know that…?" Midna asked.

"You'd be surprised the things everyone tries to hide from me. And…I wish for him to come back alive as I am friends with his mother and was with his deceased father. I promised myself that I would not allow harm or death come to him as it did with my…Never mind. Just bring him back and I'll talk with Impa," His Majesty told her.

Midna arched an eyebrow as he was never really open in talking about Princess Din. Against her better judgment, she asked, "Are you sure this isn't about Princess…?"

"Goodbye Midna and good hunting," Ganondorf told her, walking away.

* * *

 _That night, 3_ _rd_ _tier, streets…_

Aryll wandered the streets, searching for any sign that her brother was there. All she found were very impatient people that pushed pass the slow-moving mountain girl. She checked shops, bars and even the occasional alley. But there was no luck.

Hours of searching made her exhausted as she didn't expect the city to be so big. Tired and seeing the sun disappear over the horizon, Aryll thought to return to the inn, but she didn't want to return without any information on Link's whereabouts.

Her attention was brought back to the present as someone had bumped into her.

"Oy, watch it!" he yelled.

"Oh, sorry…" Aryll said.

She then realized that her purse had been stolen. Aryll quickly turned around and saw the man sprinting into a nearby alley. She yelled and chased after him, only to find him rummaging.

"Only 40 rupees and a book with weird 'andwritin'. Seriously, though. I thought she 'ad somethin' better than this, the way she was dressed," the man said, taking out Aryll's things.

"Hey! Give it back!" she yelled, rushing for him.

He turned around and said, "Ya just as broke as e'eryone else 'round 'ere."

"Give me back my stuff!" Aryll yelled, throwing a punch.

The pale-skinned, bald man in black jumped into the air and landed behind the girl. He then struck her in the back of the head and Aryll fell flat on her face, falling unconscious.

"Well, she ain't got no money. Wonder 'ow much she'd be worth," the pale-skinned man said.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"Why not? She's best sold off for a bit o' coin," the man said, turning around.

He then jumped as he saw a Twili man in black. The raven-haired one glared at him with harsh red eyes that seemed to glow with an unnatural light. The bald man glared back and asked, "What'cha want 'ere, Twili?"

The Twili looked at Aryll and said, "Did you hurt her?"

"She attacked me first! I was just gettin'…" the man said.

He was then struck by a knife, the weapon hitting his right cheek and leaving a large gash. Both the Twili and he saw his attacker, a masked, blonde Sheikah. She jumped from the roof and landed between him and the fallen Aryll.

"Roberto Cieco*, or should I say, 'Blind the Traitorous Thief'. I wouldn't think you would return to the capital after your near run in with the Corps," the girl said.

Blind smirked and said, "Ya know me? I guess after what I did, other Sheikah would know. Heh, I'm famous!"

"More like infamous. Turn yourself in and your punishment will lessen. If not…" the young Sheikah said.

Before she could get any more words out, the newcomer Twili suddenly struck Blind down. He fell to the ground and disappeared in a shower of black mist. An eerie laugh came from the mist and Blind said, "See? I'm famous! Famous for never gettin' caught by you Twili or Sheikah!"

* * *

Sheik rolled her eyes, irritated that this Twili would attack the infamous Blind the Thief. If she had turned him in, then it would be one step further into joining the Shadow Corps. With a sigh, she asked, "Why did you do that? Why did you attack him?"

The Twili ignored her, walked passed her and held the unconscious girl in his arms. He then asked, "Do you have any red potions or any healing items?"

"No. Not on me right now. But I know a bit of healing magic," Sheik said.

The Sheikah tried to read his mind, only for her to see nothing but shadows and mist clouding it. She then looked at the girl and the name Aryll Nodor filled her mind. Sheik remembered that the boy the Corps was hunting was Link Nodor and that Impa was also looking for his runaway siblings. She figured that the girl was one of them and said, "I suggest we take her somewhere safer. Hylia City outside the 4th and 5th tiers can be dangerous for newcomers at night."

* * *

 _Thelma's Inn, 3_ _rd_ _tier…_

"Oni? What…What are you doing here? How did you get here?" Agitha asked.

Oni placed Aryll on one of the beds in the sparse inn room and said, "I was told that you five were headed to the capital. So, I tailed you."

He saw the room's two beds covered in green, checkered blankets. A lone table was situated in front of them and in the middle of the room. Next to it, along the far wall was a fireplace and a blazing fire burned forth, warming the chilly room. The overall look to it was very…raggedy to Oni and he wondered if they had to pay much.

"What happened to Aryll? Why is there a large bruise on her neck?" Karane asked, checking the girl.

"And who is she?" Groose asked, pointing at the Sheikah that led Oni to the inn.

"I am Sheik. Sheik Yoichi, an imperial guardian," the girl, Sheik, told them.

"An Imperial…wait, you work in the palace?" Agitha asked.

Sheik nodded and Oni couldn't help but feel that he knew what "imperial guardians" were. He even felt that he may have knew one before.

'Huh. Was I one before or something…?' Oni thought.

Pipit asked, "So, why would an imperial help out someone like her?"

"'Someone like her'?" Sheik asked.

Pipit explained how they were all from the mountains of Snowpeak and how they were in town looking for Link. He didn't mention the boy by name, but Sheik responded with, "Is his name Link?"

"Yeah! How did you know?" Karane asked her.

"Because we're looking for him too!"

The door burst open and a girl in blue and white clothes tumbled in. The girl, with azure-colored hair, looked up and said, "Oh…Um...Yeah. We're tailing him."

"Why would you tell total strangers that, Fi?"

Another appeared and Oni quickly recognized her to be a Twili. The redhaired Twili looked around and asked, "You guys are that Link kid's folks?"

"His family and friends, yes," Pipit told her.

"Well, that makes this easier. We'll probably need you all to help get him back to the city and to the hospital," the Twili said.

Sheik saw the distrust on everyone's, including Oni's, faces and she said, "Forgive her. Midna's not really keen on manners."

Oni was taken aback as the name Midna was very familiar. He didn't know why and fought the urge to ask her about it. Agitha ruined the mood by saying, "It's better for him not to be around people…not after what he did…"

"It was an accident!" Pipit yelled, trying to defend his friend.

Oni remembered his nearly being killed by Link when he was in that…state. He didn't know what happened to cause Link to pulsate with such powerful magic, but he knew it turned him deadly. And that power drove him from the village, who seemed relieved at his departure. But Aryll, Lydia and Granny Matilde were inconsolable for days. That is, until the twins left with Link's friend for the capital. Wanting to fulfill Lydia's wish in bringing her girls' back, Oni trailed them.

He came out of his thoughts when he heard Agitha yelled, "He's not even Link anymore! Why would you think that he's…?"

"Wait, wait, wait! What? What happened? Why do you hate him so much?" the girl, Fi, asked.

Agitha turned away and said, "I'm not saying anything to complete strangers."

A moan was heard and the group saw Aryll waking up. She apparently heard the conversation and said, "Why…Why not? We can use their help in finding Link."

"I can care less what happens to that…that insane, sorry excuse for a human being," Agitha said, glowering.

Aryll was about to retaliate when Karane stepped forward. The glare on her face made the room suddenly feel cold to Oni. She stared at the younger girl and said, "Don't you ever say anything like that again…"

"Why not? It's not like he's the one who attacked you during one of his feral fits! It's not like he's the one who drove your father to his death!" Agitha yelled.

"Wait…You blame him for that? That wasn't his fault! That was that troop of Bokoblins!" Aryll yelled.

"But everything that's happened! It's his fault! Everything! Us being ostracized! The villagers distrust of us and his destroying most of the village! It's all his! All of it!" Agitha yelled.

She ran out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Karane sighed and Pipit said, "I'll go get her."

Once they were gone, the mood remained a bit somber and Groose asked, "So, you guys gonna help us find him?"

"If you let us," Sheik said.

"Okay. Once Pipit brings back Agitha, we'll go with you guys to find Link," Aryll said.

She held her head and Oni said, "We'll let you rest first. Then, we'll go."

Aryll jumped as she saw Oni and hugged him. He returned it and muttered, "We'll get him back. Don't you worry."

* * *

 _Okay. So now Sheik, Fi and Midna have joined Aryll and the others. But is Agitha's hatred for her own brother justified? Or is she just filled with angst? Review?_

 _And Cieco is Italian for "Blind"._

 _-miano53_


	15. Chapter 15: Of Shrines and Ice

" _Oh, ho! A visitor! How rare! But you have found me, the wisest of the wisest of the wise! You what? You want to enter the temple you can see in the lake? They call that place the Temple of Droplets."_

 _-a Forest Minish_

Chapter Fifteen: Of Shrines and Ice

 _12 Rauru, bridge overlooking the Frozen Lake Hylia, evening…_

A young man with odd silver and black-hued messy hair stood at the southern fields near the Hylian Bridge checkpoint. He, covered in a white, sleeveless shirt that exposed blue, linear tattoos on his arms and black leather pants and boots, wasn't cold at all despite the winds from the frozen lake whipping about. From his position, he saw an ancient shrine with snake statues around it, a massive stone road that led from the shrine to a lookout tower and another road from there led into the somewhat warm desert. To his right was another checkpoint that looked more like a house. To his left was the Hylian Bridge checkpoint where guards were stationed in front of a steel gate.

He didn't see the need to head for the bridge but something told him to head for the lake. He started for it and heard the sound of horses clopping coming from behind him. Turning around, the medium build, midsize in stature youth saw a horse-drawn carriage heading for him. The appearance of that Clydesdale horse brought familiarity to him and a faint image of his having a grey horse crossed his mind.

"Hey, ya sure he went this way?" one of them, a Gerudo in navy blue and olive green, asked while sitting in the driver's seat.

The other, a pale-skinned, raven-haired man in black and driving the wagon, nodded and told him, "That's what that Sheik girl said. And Fi and Midna."

"Well, all they said was that he headed south and the forests in the south are petrified," another, a young girl in white said, peeking her head out of the small window in the wagon.

They rode towards the crossroads, where the odd young man stood, confused as to why the group seemed familiar. The two drivers noticed him and said, "Hey man! Have you seen a blonde kid run this way?"

"Blonde…kid?" he asked.

"Yeah, a Hylian kid with blonde hair, blue eyes and a really, really bad stutter," the girl yelled.

The man was confused and the Gerudo said, "Uh, Aryll, I don't think he knows anything."

"Yeah, we should head over there at that checkpoint," the raven-haired one said.

"I think you're right, Oni. Let's go Groose," Aryll said.

The wagon was about to take off when the young man yelled, "Hey wait!"

"What?" Oni asked.

"Um, what's going on?" another voice asked.

The back of the wagon opened and a Twili, two "half-breeds" and another Hylian stepped out. The Hylian, a male in yellow, eyed him suspiciously and the first half-breed, in lime green, asked, "Who are you?"

"Uh, that's pretty bold to ask without introducing yourself, Karane," the teen in yellow told her.

"No it's not, Pipit. We stopped for some reason and this guy's here, just standing in the middle of the road," Karane told him.

The Twili eyed the man and said, "I don't sense anything dangerous about him. He's probably lost or something."

"Yeah, it's been snowing really hard in this area," the second half-breed, in blue and white, added.

"Well, that's oblivious, Fi. We were caught in it," the Twili muttered.

Fi grumbled and muttered, "You're mean, Midna…"

Midna didn't pay any attention and their focus went back on the odd newcomer. Gruffly, Midna said, "Who're you?"

"Uh," the man started.

"Hey! What's the hold up?" Aryll's look-a-like said, jumping out of the wagon.

She glared at him and said, "So, it's you? Who are you?"

"I'm…." he started.

"C'mon, spit it out! We're on a time clock! And I'm cold!" Midna said.

Before he could get interrupted again, the man said, "Raven."

Aryll and her look-a-like stared and said, "'Raven'?"

Her twin, skeptical, asked, "Raven what?"

Raven, not sure himself, said, "I…I don't remember. All that comes to mind is 'Raven'."

"Um…He'll come with us," Aryll said.

"Why? Don't tell me you think…" her twin said.

Aryll nodded and said, "Yeah, I do, Agitha."

The others were perplexed, wondering what she meant and why they would take a stranger with them. Raven didn't blame them, as he was certain that he wouldn't help someone he found on the side of the road. After a bit of arguing, Aryll managed to convince everyone to take Raven with them.

He was grateful as he had nowhere to go and couldn't remember where he was going. Aryll smiled and said, "Welcome to the group, Mister Raven."

* * *

After hearing his name, Aryll knew that there was something off about him. He had the same name as one of Link's alter egos and he appeared out of nowhere. Agitha just thought it was a mere coincidence as many people had that name and the others didn't really know what to think. Overall, everyone was tired, hungry, freezing and wanted to head for the next town, Lakeview, which was located at the frozen Lake Hylia.

With the newcomer in tow, Oni and Groose directed the wagon towards the road leading east. After showing their credentials to the guards, they were allowed passage to the lake road. The thoroughfare was a downward sloping bridge, with turns to keep the bridge from being too steep climbing up and going down as well as high barriers to prevent people from falling towards the icy lake below. The bridge was also slippery from the constant frost and the cold winds whipped about, making the area feel colder than Snowpeak, despite the desert being close by.

After about an hour, the group made it to the lake, stopping at a bridge next to a frozen waterfall. Aryll gasped as the sight of the sheer amount of ice that covered it. The ice sheet that layered it looked to be at least several feet thick and was clear as glass. From what she could see, there was still running water underneath it and wondered how it hadn't completely frozen over. Passed the bridge and on shore was a small township with snow-covered huts and more stone bridges.

In the distance was an ancient shrine, surrounded by many snake statues. Beyond that were old wood bridges, reinforced by iron and connected to various land masses that led to the desert road. The Bridge of Hylia was above them and visible at every part of the lake, as well as the towering spires of the Northern Palace.

Pipit convinced the caravan to stop off at the nearby town so they could rest up and resupply. No one objected as everyone was tired and the ever-suspicious Agitha wanted to rid themselves of the newcomer, Raven.

* * *

 _Lakeview Town…_

The town of Lakeview was similar in appearance to Aboda Village, with ten wood and stone-made huts, the largest being in the center of town. Torches, instead of gas lamps, were at each of the huts, a pair at each home. Wagons, fishing equipment and pickaxes were near each home and seemed to have been recently used.

There was nothing that suggested the town had shops or an inn. So, Karane suggest for the group to head for the largest hut in town. Raven, however, started wandering as the place looked familiar. He strayed from the group and went unnoticed by them.

The town was quiet, too quiet. It was like all life had left the area or that something was keeping the townsfolk inside. Raven wandered out, his legs taking him to across the stone bridges and to the snake statues' shrine. He stopped, looked up and muttered, "Was I here before?"

"Mister Raven, what are you doing here?"

He quickly faced a worried Fi and he asked, "Why are you following me? I'm a stranger, aren't I?"

"Yeah, but I sense nothing dangerous about you. Instead, I sense that you're a good guys and that there's something you need help with," the girl said.

Raven admired how much innocence and kindness she had, but had a feeling that it would come back to bite her someday. The girl smiled and said, "I didn't properly introduce myself, did I? Come to think about it, the others didn't either. Well, I'm Fiona Manjhi, and I'm helping find that boy we told you about."

"Link, correct?" Raven asked.

Fiona nodded and the man said, "I haven't seen anyone like that. Nor do I think I will ever. But...I won't be surprised if he's close."

"I hope so. His Majesty wants him to return to get treatment, since he's a bit loony," Fi thought aloud.

Raven gave her a confused expression and she caught herself. With an innocent look, she said, "Oh. Um, never mind what I said…and don't tell Aryll. Please."

"Who are you guys?"

The pair saw an odd sight walk out of the shrine. It was a short, humanoid, fish-like creature wearing a red cloak and deep blue robe. Its slight, hourglass, feminine shape indicate that the rose-colored creature was female. She stared at the two with turquoise eyes and Raven spotted a small, blue charm on a golden necklace around her neck. On her arms were bracelets with blue scales attached to them. The creature was also armed, holding a too-large-for-her-height silver staff encrusted with sapphires. She pulsated with magic and Raven could've sworn he saw a vibrant blue aura coming from her.

"Who are you? Why are you here? This shrine belongs to us Zoras! Go away!" the "fish girl", as Fiona so eloquently put it, yelled.

The Zora girl glared at them and held up her staff in an attack posture. Raven thought it would be best to leave, seeing the aura around her dramatically increase. Fi also went into a battle stance, leaning forward and spreading her legs about a foot apart, her stance looking like a hybrid between a kick boxer and a ballerina's.

"Ruto! What are you doing?"

Another Zora, also female and in a near exact appearance to Ruto, came out of the shrine, armed with a large spear, also encrusted in sapphires. She also wore a blue robe, but with a white cape and the symbol of Nayru on the back. Like Ruto, she had bracelets with scales connected to them by a silver chain. Around her neck was a pendant in the shape of Nayru's Emblem and the name of it, "Zora's Sapphire", came to Raven's mind. Just like Ruto, she pulsated with magic, but it wasn't as intense as her counterpart's.

"Mipha, these strangers was about to waltz in the shrine and do whatever to poor Lanayru!" Ruto said.

The second young Zora, Mipha, sighed and said, "Anyone can go in there, Ruto, to worship the snake incarnation…or what's left of it."

"Well, they shouldn't because they're the reason why the lake's under ice!" Ruto said.

Mipha sighed again and said, "Humans aren't the reason why the lake's frozen."

"Then what is? I don't see anything else that could've caused it," Ruto said, sounding a bit bitter.

Her counterpart released another sigh and shook her head. She then said, "I'm sorry for my twin's behavior. She and other Zoras haven't been trusting of human since the lake froze over…800 years ago. But I'm with her in asking this. Who are you two? And what are humans doing all the way here?"

Raven looked to Fi and she said, "We're here because we were trying to rest after looking for this blonde guy with a terrible stutter. He's got a bit of mental issues and my friends and I are trying to find him so we can return him to the capital."

"A blonde guy? Haven't seen anybody like that," Mipha answered.

"Yeah, so you guys go back to wherever you came from! Or so help me!" Ruto declared, holding her staff in the air.

Fi looked at Raven, who looked a Mipha. The Zora groaned and grabbed her sister by the arm. She then led the two back to Lakeview with Ruto pulling away at her grasp.

* * *

 _Lakeview, elder's hut…_

The sparse stone and wooden hut looked more like an inn than a home. On the main floor was a circle of chairs, pillows and stools that surrounded a small fire that heated the entire level. A door on the right led to a guest room with eight beds. While the door on the left was a room filled with dressers, barrels and other storage containers.

On a large stool sat a rather obese, older Zora in a red cape and robe. His scaly skin was red in color and a pair of smaller fins served as a mustache on his face. He looked over the rest of the group, sitting around in the circle of furniture. Behind him were three blue-scaled Zoras, all masculine in appearance and armed with spears. The others in the caravan were also in attendance and sat either in the stools or on the floor.

"So, you're looking for a Hylian boy? Well, we haven't seen any here," the old Zora told them.

"Are you sure?" Aryll asked.

The obese Zora nodded and Ruto introduced Fi and Raven to him.

"This our father, Lord Sidon De Bon VI, brother to King Zora De Bon XXIV," she said.

The twins took their place at their father's side and Lord Sidon said, "Yes I am he. And you're probably wondering why we're here in such a cold place."

"Yeah. I thought you all took to warmer waters, like how all the textbooks said," Agitha said.

Mipha nodded and said, "We did, but…"

"But my family returned to Hyrule proper because we need to investigate the sudden drop in water temperature in the oceans and the drop in ocean levels," Lord Sidon said.

"AND…!" Ruto yelled.

"And we're here to find out why Lake Hylia and the river froze over so long ago," Lord Sidon added.

Ruto seemed pleased and Mipha asked, "And you all are here to look for your friend?"

"Yeah. Their brother and our friend," Pipit said, pointing at Aryll and Agitha.

"Oh. Well, we haven't seen any Hylian boys here, save for you two," a guard said, looking at Groose and Pipit.

"And there haven't been too many Hylians coming around here, save for you all," Mipha added.

Aryll sighed and Karane asked, "So, is it possible to stay here a while? We've been traveling for a few days and were caught in that snowstorm."

"Sure, sure! Just don't make a ruckus and you'll be fine," Lord Sidon said.

"And don't go in the shrine south of here!" Ruto warned.

* * *

" _Aryll, don't go in Link's room right now," Lydia warned._

 _Aryll, age nine, heard a loud thud and she said, "Is…Is it happening again?"_

 _Before she could get a reply, Granny Matilde pushed past her. She held a vial of purple potion and, moments later, Lydia and Elder Sahasrahla rushed in. Aryll covered her ears, hearing Link's pained cries and a few snarls._

" _Please…please…Please cure him. Please…Don't let him be like this forever," Aryll prayed._

* * *

Aryll woke up to the sounds of feet shuffling and sat up in the bed she shared with her sister. She saw Raven stumble out of the hut and he didn't look well. A feeling of worry gripped her and she looked around to see the others still asleep. The males were sleeping on mats on the floor while the other females slept in beds as well.

She was about to call out to wake up someone as she thought to follow Raven. She didn't have to as Oni was the first one to wake up. He looked at her and asked, "Where's the new guy? He left already?"

"Um, I saw him stumbling out of the hut…" Aryll whispered.

Getting up quietly, as he was on the floor between Fi and Karane's beds, Oni crept up to Aryll and Agitha's bed. He helped the girl up and out and the two left the sleeping quarters. Picking up their weapons laying near the hut's entrance, the duo left, making very sure to keep quiet.

* * *

 _Lake Hylia, Southern Shrine, midnight…_

"Okay, this place looks kinda familiar," Oni said.

Aryll and he looked at the massive lakeside shrine and the girl noted the many statues of snakes. Icicles hung from the higher statues and snow covered some of the lower ones. It looked creepy and figured that was the reason why Ruto warned them not to go.

The only reason why they did so was that the two saw Raven head in that direction. He went inside and Oni was about to follow when he stopped and noticed how familiar the area looked. Aryll debated within herself on going in as the exterior was haunting and she felt a weird presence coming from inside the shrine.

"Hey! Did I say not to come here?"

"Oh no…." Oni muttered.

Ruto and Mipha found them and Ruto had a scowl on her face. Mipha shook her head and asked, "What are you two doing here?"

"Uh, we saw Raven come in here," Aryll answered.

"Raven's that man with the black and white hair?" Mipha asked.

Oni nodded and said, "Well, we gotta get in there and get him out. So…"

"No! No humans allowed!" Ruto yelled.

"Why not?" Oni asked her.

Ruto folded her arms and shook her head, saying, "Because humans started the permafrost!"

"You've no proof on that," Oni told her.

"So? It's a proven fact that humans always ruin what they come in contact with!" Ruto said.

The Zora sounded so much like Agitha when she was enraged and Aryll yelled, "Stop it! Just let us in and get Raven out of there!"

Ruto shook her head again and Mipha nudged her. She looked at her twin and said, "If they stick with us, it'll be fine."

"Okay! Alright! But if anything goes wrong, I'm blaming them," Ruto told her.

* * *

 _A_ _nd here's the newly revamped chapter 15. Wonder where Link is and if he's okay._


	16. Chapter 16: The Temple of Droplets I

_"_ _The dark power that you seek... It waits in a temple set in the bed of Lake Hylia._ _"_

 _-ancient water spirit, Lanayru_

Chapter Sixteen: Temple of Droplets, pt. I

" _What…what on earth? What are you doing in my domain, monster?" the snake incarnation, Lanayru, asked._

 _It watched as a shadowy figure entered the shrine and the spirit pulsated with powerful light. The monster, with decaying grey skin, clothes that were black as night and burning red eyes, grinned with a fanged maw and dragged an iron sword behind it. Its shape and appearance looked like an undead version of the beloved Chosen One that died 50 years ago._

 _Lanayru would've wondered what it was looking at, but it had no time as the monster shrieked violently. It locked eyes onto Lanayru's bright ones and screamed, "LANAYRU...BACK! I'M…!"_

" _No, you are not him! He died long ago! You're just a shambling, reanimated corpse," Lanayru retorted._

 _The monster screamed again, a violent pulse of energy hitting the light spirit. It steeled itself, not wanting to be flung into the cavern wall again. Lanayru fired off a beam of light at the creature, but the monster managed to block it using powerful dark magic and its rusty iron sword._

 _The beam was slashed apart and the monster swung its sword again, sending off an arc of dark magic. The light spirit was cut in half and burst into a shower of light. The cave fell into darkness and the undead creature gave a triumphant roar._

* * *

 _Lake Hylia, Lanayru Shrine…_

"Oni? Oni? Are you okay?" Aryll asked.

Oni shook his head and realized that he had started daydreaming. He couldn't remember what he was thinking about, but a sudden feeling of guilt gripped him. Aryll's concerned gaze prompted him to say, "I'm fine. Don't worry."

"Okay. I can't have you start going crazy on me too," the girl said.

The four were in a cavern that were filled with more snake statues. Rocky outcroppings served as pathways around the circular cavern and the upper cliffs were connected by wooden stairs. Frozen ivy were seen on parts of the cavern and the image of a boy in green climbing them crossed Oni's mind. At the bottom was ice-filled water and particles of light swirled about.

Aryll stared and asked, "What's this? What's with all the swirling light?"

Ruto sighed and said, "This is the reason why we didn't want to you come here."

Mipha nodded, saying, "This is what's left of the water spirit, Lanayru. It was attacked by dark forces long ago and…"

"When it was destroyed, the lake became defenseless and…" Ruto added.

"It froze over," Oni said.

"Yeah. But it was expedited by the darkness that overtook Hyrule and even more so after the magical access to Lakebed Temple was severed. We've came back to this place and suffered the cold to figure out how to get everything back to normal, before the oceans freeze up too," Mipha told them.

"So, we need to protect what's left of Lanayru so the water underneath the lake doesn't go to. If it does, then Hyrule will be an eternal, frozen wasteland," Ruto said.

"Isn't it already?" Oni asked.

"Well…kinda. But if the water completely freezes, it'll get even harder for everyone to have running water. That and…" Mipha tried to explain.

" _Temple…The Temple…"_

The remains of Lanayru radiated with a soft light and a voice came from it. Ruto looked to Mipha, who asked it, "Um, Lanayru…What temple?"

" _The Temple of Droplets…Enter…from the…second floor…The reincarnated…Chosen…entered…Find the…Water Element."_

"Water Element?" Ruto asked.

" _Formerly powered…the fabled…Palace of Winds…belonging to an ancient…wind sorcerer. The element…can reopen…Lakebed Temple. Find it…Find him…Bring both to me."_

"Okay. We'll do so," Mipha said.

She looked at the cavern's entrance, waved her spear several times and Oni and Aryll's jaws dropped at what they saw next. Water came up from the pool below and followed the movements of Mipha's spear. Oni and Aryll ducked as the Zora swung at them, commanding the water to follow. The liquid covered the entrance and froze instantaneously, creating a barrier and preventing their leave.

"There. Now Lanayru will be protected," she said.

"But, we can't leave," Aryll said.

"Don't worry. We're experts at Water magic. All we have to do is turn the ice into mist after we get back," Ruto told her.

Oni didn't think it was that great of an idea. If anything happened to them, they would receive no help. Ruto seemed confident that they would be okay. But something was telling him that her hubris would be detrimental.

"Oni! C'mon!" Aryll said.

He noticed that they were already on the second floor. The young man caught up with them and the four headed for a large door on the upper alcove. Oni opened the door and he could've sworn he had done the same in a similar looking cavern. In the next room was a small, ice-covered portal that looked like the frozen lake outside.

Before they could do anything else, the remains of Lanayru gave them a warning.

" _Be careful…That portal…leads to another…world. A world where…large things…are small…and small things…are large. Step onto…the portal…and you'll…be transported. Find the element…Find the Chosen…and return to me."_

"Okay. We'll do that," Mipha said.

She stood on the icy platform and held up her spear. Blue light surrounded her and Oni could see ancient Hylian script surround her. He, surprisingly, could read it and the words were "shrinking", "growing" and "water mage". Aryll yelped while Oni jumped as Mipha suddenly disappeared.

"Okay, my turn," Ruto said.

The same happened to her as she suddenly disappeared in the same light. Aryll gulped and said, "Here goes nothing."

She stood on the platform and the ancient Hylian words "warrior child" appeared in yellow light. The girl raised her hands and yelled, "Geronimo!"

Like the Zora twins, Aryll disappeared. Unnerved, Oni muttered, "Uh…Well, I can't leave. And I don't know Water magic. And it's cold here…Uh…I'm not looking forward to this…"

He stood on the portal and purple light surrounded him. He saw the ancient words for "lost", "warrior" and, to his shock, "demon" appear. The light overtook him and Oni saw everything around him suddenly grow bigger. He fell, entering a small hole in the portal and entering the freezing temple.

* * *

 _Temple of Droplets, entrance…_

"Ow…What just happened?" Aryll groaned.

Oni had landed on his back and felt as if he had broken something. He moaned, sitting up and seeing an impatient Ruto and a helping-Aryll-to-her-feet Mipha. Ruto huffed and asked, "Seriously, you guys took forever to wake up."

"They were only dazed for five minutes, Ruto," Mipha responded.

"Still too long," Ruto retorted.

Oni shook his head, trying to gather his bearings. When he fully recovered, the young man looked up and saw a hole in the ceiling. The bright light that came from it was strong with magical energy and Oni figured that it was the same portal they came from. The four were on a dais and down the stairs was an ice covered floor leading to doors at the north and south. The south door was barred by a large lock in the shape of an eye. The northern door was unlocked and Oni thought that was the first place to search.

"Oh, guys. Be careful!" Mipha said.

"Why?" Aryll asked, walking down the stairs.

She slipped the instant she stepped on the ice and started sliding towards the edge of the icy pathway. All Oni could see was inky blackness and he knew it was an abyss. Mipha, quickly thinking, slammed the bottom of her spear into the ice and several barriers appeared around the room, stopping Aryll moments before she careened into the darkness.

"Like I was saying, be careful not to fall. We only have so much magic power to use," Mipha warned.

"Okay. I won't slip on my backside. Got it," Aryll told her.

Carefully, the four traversed to the north, pushing and turning into mist small ice blocks that were in the way. Once at the northern door, they went through, only finding a room filled with pots and torches. On the left was a locked door while the right was unlocked. Just as Oni took his first step farther in, he was stopped by various ancient script that pulsed with light.

"Huh? What…?" he said.

"Oni, what's wrong? What is that?" Aryll asked.

"I can't read that. Looks like old Hylian," Ruto told her sister.

Oni read it aloud, saying, "'To those aiding the Chosen…Four things are necessary in finding the element…The dungeon map shows the layout of the temple…The compass shows the way to treasure. Small keys open the way to other rooms. The 'Large Key' or 'Boss Key' opens the way to the temple's guardian. Dungeon items found are also necessary to traverse."

"Oh. So basic dungeon crawling instructions?" Mipha asked.

"I guess…Most of this stuff…I…know already. Was I an explorer or something?" Oni thought aloud.

"What do you mean? You got amnesia?" Ruto asked.

"He does. But he's been remembering some stuff since he met us. So, based on what he said he remembers, he could've been a Twili-Imperial Guard-Explorer Guy," Aryll said.

More words appeared and Oni translated, "'Find the Chosen One…The one chosen by the gods…Find him, the element and defeat the temple's guardian. Only then can you escape.' Wow, kinda demanding, don't you think?"

"Well, at least our instructions are clear, but how to find a small key for that door?" Mipha said.

"If you see a locked door and an unlocked one nearby, go through the unlocked one. A key's usually found beyond there. And how do I know that? I have no idea," Oni said, still not sure where all that came from.

They followed his advice and Aryll ducked as one of the pots suddenly flung itself towards her, breaking as it hit a far wall. Another aimed for Mipha and she broke it with a simple swing of her spear. A third aimed for Ruto's head and she swiped at it with a small wave of water. The last one headed straight for Oni and he deftly performed a horizontal strike with the thin sword he had bought in the capital, cutting it in half.

"Okay! Now if all the inanimate objects can stop trying to kill us!" Ruto yelled.

Oni grumbled as the Zora just had to open her mouth. The torches in the room started firing off fireballs and the magical flames rushed straight for them. The four ran into the next room and Oni slammed the door behind him as he was the last one in. He couldn't breathe a sigh of relief as the next room was filled with Red Chuchus, bright light and an out of place panel.

Aryll readied her sword and shield and bashed one of the Chuchus with her wooden sword. It splattered and Mipha attacked a second one, stabbing it with her spear. Ruto took out the last one, summoning water and surrounding the jelly-like monster. She slammed her staff onto the stone floor and the water froze, encasing it in ice. Mipha jumped in the air and landed spear first onto the frozen Chuchu, shattering it into many pieces.

Oni nodded, pleased that the girls knew how to fight.

'That'll make things easier if anything happens,' he thought.

A series of stairs went noticed by him and that was their next destination. Once downstairs, the group only saw a frozen pond, a key encased in an ice block, a barrier preventing them from stepping onto the frozen pond and a lever. Aryll pulled the handle before anyone could object and the ceiling opened up, revealing sunlight. The freezing room felt warm and Ruto sighed in relief.

"Ah, now I can feel my toes thawing out," she said.

Mipha looked at her and said, "The Water Dragon's scale supposed to keep you warm. How are you even cold?"

"You're not?" Ruto asked.

"Not too much. But anyway. What are we to do now? We have sunlight, but…" Mipha asked.

"Can't you use the ice to make some stairs or a bridge?" Oni asked.

"That's the problem with ice. You have to be standing on it or be able to reach it to use it, since it's so stagnant. Unlike water or mist," Mipha replied.

"So, you can't turn the ice over there into water?" Aryll asked.

"Only if you want this room to be flooded. That and it takes great magical energy to do so from afar," Ruto told her.

Remembering the odd panel in the room above, Oni told Aryll to head back up. Aryll objected, thinking the Chuchus would've respawned. Mipha agreed to go with her and the two left. Moments later, they dropped down from the ceiling, landing on the frozen pond. Mipha seemed to get what Oni thought to do and pushed the ice block towards the sunlight.

It melted immediately and Aryll picked up a small key. She held it up proudly and Oni snickered as she looked rather silly.

"Okay, now just push this barrier block here and we can go," he said.

She did and the two rejoined Oni and Ruto. After going back up and into the room with the killer pots and lanterns, Oni quickly used the small key and practically pushed the girls into the next room. Once again, there was no sign of relief as Blue Chuchus were in that room. As with the red variety, the group took them out quickly, using magic and brute force.

After the jelly-like enemies' defeat, the four noticed more sunlight pouring in from the ceiling and a hole in the middle of the room. Barriers barred access to the stairs on the other side and Oni looked down. He could see another frozen pond, along with stone embedded in the ice and ice blocks. One of them had a peculiar looking key and the young man muttered, "Hopefully I won't get hurt this time."

"Huh? What?" Aryll said.

"Okay, time to jump," Oni told the girls.

"Again?" Aryll asked.

Oni nodded and Mipha was the first to go, yelling, "Arapaho!"

Ruto was next, yelling, "Serrano!"

Aryll made a praying motion and screamed, "Mahalo!"

Oni was last and, in the silly pattern, yelled, "Do a barrel roll-o!"

* * *

 _Frozen pond puzzle, Temple of Droplets…_

"GAH! OW! Not again…" Oni groaned as he landed hard on his backside.

Ruto eyed him and said, "Well, you didn't break anything. I can tell. So, get up. Right now."

He did so, only to slip and fall back down. The entire floor was indeed a frozen pond and it was as clear as glass. Carefully getting up, Oni got to his feet and Ruto slid towards the far side of the room and looked like she was ice skating. Mipha did the same while Aryll used the stones to keep herself balanced.

"Oh! OH! Look! Found something!" Ruto yelled.

The others joined her, with Aryll gripping Oni for dear life, and one of the blocks had a large key. In the center of that key was an eye matching the one on the door near the temple's entrance. The other two were empty and no one knew what they were for, but Oni's mind started racing as he looked at the sunlight near the stairs and the many stones jutting out from the ice.

"Okay. Ruto. Push the Boss Key block," Oni said.

Ruto shrugged and did as she was told. The ice block slid towards the sunlit area, hitting the stone in front of it. Oni saw the other two and told Mipha, "Mipha, push the one on my right forward and then to the right."

She did so and the block hit the stone and then the wall. He then told her to move it forward again, towards another stone. The Zora did so, following his instructions carefully. Ruto was then instructed to push the Boss Key block towards the ice block on his left. She did and the block slid into the other. She pushed it again, pushing it towards another stone nearer the light and then towards the other ice block.

The Zora girl got it and pushed it again to the far side of the room. It slid and hit another stone. With one final push, she got it towards the light, freeing the Boss Key from its icy prison. Like Aryll, she dramatically held it up in triumph, yelling, "Finally!"

"What do you mean 'finally'? We just got in here," Mipha said.

"So? I'm just want to get the Water Element, find that Chosen One guy and get out of this place and back to bed," Ruto told her.

* * *

 _Temple of Droplets, in front of the Boss Door…_

"And we put this here," Aryll said.

Oni grabbed her, putting her on his shoulders and lifting up towards the massive lock. Aryll placed it inside, turning it and hearing a loud click. The door opened on its own and the group headed forward.

The next room was a large hallway, filled with pottery, torches and ice. The most of the floor was covered in it and in the center of the room was a large block of ice. Within it was a blue, water droplet-shaped jewel and beyond it was an iced over door. Two doors were at Oni's right and left, with the left also frozen over, leaving the right door open.

Mipha and Ruto slid towards the large ice block and the calmer twin said, "Oh. This is the Water Element. But how can we get it?"

Oni looked up and saw a closed panel. On ledges overlooking the room on both sides were levers. His mind started processing what was going on and said, "We should split up and find a way to get to those levers."

"What levers?" Aryll asked him.

He pointed to them and Ruto yelled, "I'm going with Mipha!"

"No. I don't think that would be a good idea. Neither of them know how to use Water magic, Ruto," Mipha said.

"Then what do we do?" she asked her twin.

Mipha elected to go with Aryll while Ruto was to go with Oni. The young Zora stared at him and muttered, "Try to keep up with me, human."

She rushed for the right open door and immediately yelped as pots flew up to attack her. She ducked and the pots shattered upon hitting the floor. Oni rolled his eyes and wished Aryll and Mipha luck. With that, he followed Ruto.

* * *

 _With Ruto and Oni…_

After finding a dungeon map, swimming along a water submerged path and falling down a waterfall, Oni and Ruto kept swimming, following a small river's path to a lone grave near a rock wall. Just before they could reach it, a spiked pillar rolled along, going up and down the river's path. Ruto dove, dodging it. Oni did the same, diving moments before the pillar could impale his face.

He reemerged, arriving at the grave and an iron gate. Ruto stared at the grave and said, "It's in old Hylian and I can't read it."

"Okay, okay. All you had to do was ask. Just press that floor switch first," Oni said, spotting a large white button in a nearby corner.

"Why? What if monsters come down and try to kill us? Or evil pots? Or torches?" Ruto asked.

"Nothing's gonna try to kill us…I think. But if they do, we're strong enough, right?" Oni said.

Ruto shook her head, saying, "I just don't want more suicidal pots trying to kill me. I just want to get out of here and go back to bed."

"Just press the button. I'll cut apart any pots that try to hurt you, 'kay?" Oni told her.

Ruto grumbled, but did as she was told. She stepped on the switch and the gate blocking their way forward went under water. Oni read the text of the grave and said, "'The way forward is hidden in the bottom of the pot'. What pot? There's no pots around here."

"I don't want to see any more of them right now," Ruto muttered.

Oni didn't want to go back in the freezing water, but knew he had no choice. Steeling himself, he jumped into the water, narrowly dodging the spiked pillar. Ruto did the same, waiting until the pillar had started going back upstream. The pair swam to forward and entered the next area.

There, were stone pillars arranged oddly. They weren't blocking anything, but their shape was just off to Oni. Farther in was another iron gate and a platform with another floor switch. The duo floated in the center of the stone structure and Oni muttered, "Let me see."

He climbed up as high as he could and sat at the top of one pillar. The young man scanned the structure with his ruby eyes and noticed the stones were arranged in the image of a pot.

"Ruto, dive over there!" Oni said, pointing at the "pot's" bottom.

"Why? We're supposed to be looking for a pot," Ruto told him.

"That's the thing. There's no pots anywhere in here. And this whole stone structure's shaped like one. So, dive over there," Oni explained.

Reluctantly, the Zora did so and found a key in the waters below. Smugly, Oni yelled, "See? What'd I tell ya?"

* * *

 _With Mipha and Aryll…_

"Oh! Where did this map come from?" Mipha said, a map suddenly appearing in her hands.

The Zora stared at it and saw several rooms highlighted in blue. Aryll and her's current position was a flashing blue room and they were standing in the middle of an ice path. Unlike before, the paths split and Mipha could only make a few barriers at a time. The duo carefully walked along the ice bridge and came to a split in the road. One led to a treasure chest and Mipha elected to go and get it.

A few tense moments later, she managed to reach it and opened it. Instead of anything useful, she only found a yellow rupee, only worth 10. Aryll called out to her and asked, "What was it?"

"Only ten rupees…That was not worth walking and risking death," Mipha said, disappointed.

She rejoined Aryll after another few tense moments and the pair slowly walked towards a platform. Running along it were ten razor traps, all moving in their own rhythm. Mipha warned Aryll not to get too close and the Hylian grabbed her for dear life. Once an opening was present, the two slid in the middle of the moving traps and Mipha sighed in relief.

That went away as the traps constant moving made tinkling sounds that started to grate her ears. Aryll was the same and asked, "Should I start singing a song to it or something? Sounds like a metronome."

"Please do not," Mipha told her.

"Aw…" Aryll whined as they continued their careful trek along the icy path.

Once on the other side, the two went through an open door, leading to a room filled with ice blocks obstructing a path to a stairwell, another available one and a locked door. At the stairwell in front of them was someone standing with their back facing the girls. Recognizing the salt and pepper-colored hair, Aryll said, "Raven? Raven!"

The man slowly turned around and Mipha pulled Aryll back, saying, "Don't move."

"Why not? We found Raven and now we can…" she said.

Mipha ignored her, asking the older Hylian, "Who are you…really? What are you?"

"'What'? He's Hylian," Aryll told her.

Raven stared at the two, as if he hadn't a clue who they were. Mipha kept Aryll behind her and said, "How is this possible? You're here, but at the same time…you're not. Like darkness cloaks you like a veil and…"

The Hylian male kept his stare at them and then locked eyes with Aryll. In a daze, he said, "A-Aryll…I…"

He fell to the ground, face first and dropping a small key in the process. Mist and a blast of dark magic pushed the pair back onto the locked door and dispersed after a few minutes. In Raven's place was a blonde and Aryll knew who it was.

"Link!?" she screamed, running to his side.

She turned him onto his back while Mipha scooped up the small key. Her brother's face was very pale and he shivered violently. Aryll tried to shake him awake, but the boy stayed asleep. Mipha put a hand to his forehead and said, "He's…No…No way!"

She checked his left hand and saw his triangle-shaped birthmark. The Zora looked to Aryll and said, "We have to get him out of here."

"But we need to get the Water Element and find that 'Chosen One' guy," Aryll said, not seeing what was going on.

"Well, we've found him. But we need to get him out of here as quickly as possible. I fear the worse if he stays here," Mipha told her.

Link's eyes shot open and he pushed past the two, stealing the small key from Mipha and opening the locked door. He rushed through and Aryll chased after him. Sensing danger coming from the new Chosen One, Mipha yelled, "Aryll! Wait! Don't go after him!"

Her cries were ignored as the girl, out of concern, ran after her brother.

* * *

 _And there's chapter 16. Originally, I didn't know what to do about the events surrounding Lake Hylia in previous drafts. But after seeing MasaeAnela's let's play of The Minish Cap, I ended up going with using the Temple of Droplets as a story arc. That and now we see more on how magic works in this fic. Like the Avatar series, but Zelda-esque…if that makes any sense._

 _And thanks to Sweetie-Saphira for their review on the last chapter._

 _-miano53_


	17. Chapter 17: The Temple of Droplets, ptII

_"You call yourselves knights? You prey on the weak... and never turn against your true enemy! What is loyalty? Does simply following the rules make you a knight? Even the orders of a tyrant who tortures her people?"_

Chapter 17: The Temple of Droplets, pt. II

" _What is that thing?"_

 _The monster swiftly turned around, only to get impaled in the chest with a Zoran spear. It landed in the water with a loud splash and could hear the lament of the aquatic people. They cried as small particles of light swirled around the chamber of Lanayru, the remains of the sacred beast._

" _We need to seal it in ice!" another Zora yelled._

" _Your Majesty! What can we do? We can't leave that creature in there with Lanayru! Look what it's done!" a third said._

 _A familiar voice reached the monster's ears and it recognized it as Ralis, the Zora King. The regal Zora sighed and said, "If it's incapacitated, then we'll freeze it and send it to the bottom of the lake. Its body should decompose faster that way."_

 _Reaching the bottom of the watery chamber, the undead monster suddenly launched itself out of the water and attacked._

* * *

 _Temple of Droplets, lone switch room, with Ruto and Oni…_

Ruto, seeing Oni standing rigid, called out his name. He didn't respond. She then walked towards him as he stood in the center of the rather empty and dimly lit, ice cold room. He insisted on taking the lead, after the two were assailed by possessed pots, lamps and oversized ants that used their pincers like chakrams, trying to cut their heads off.

"Oni? Oni! Why are you spacing out over here?" Ruto asked.

She placed a hand on his shoulder, only for him to suddenly grab it and started crushing it. The Zora screamed, trying to pull away as the man started yelling at her in gibberish. In her fear-filled state, Ruto noticed his red eyes were glowing with a sinister light and fangs seemed to peek out from his mouth.

Swinging her free arm at his head, Ruto sent a small splash of water at him, stunning him and forcing him to release her. That same splash struck a lever switch at the far end of the room and a sky light opened up in the ceiling. Droplets of jelly fell and a massive, blue Chu Jelly appeared.

"Oh no! Oh no!" Ruto screamed, jumping out of the way of the massive jelly monster's lunge.

She rushed to the entrance, only for metal pillars to appear, blocking her escape. The Zora felt overwhelming fear, more towards the oddly acting Oni than the enormous Chu Jelly that wanted to turn her into a Zora pancake. The Blue Chu Jelly launched itself into the air and towards her. Oni was still feral and was of no help to anyone, so Ruto was left to fend for herself.

The short Zora priestess leapt out of the way, landing on her stomach as the Chu Jelly slammed onto the icy floor. It slunk towards her again and shocked the air with electricity pulsating from its body. Ruto started running, only to slip and fall onto her backside. She slid to a halt in a corner and cursed everything as the Chu Jelly had trapped her in a corner.

"Crap! Shoot! Frick! Crud!" she sputtered, after spewing out several curses in Zoran tongue.

The Chu Jelly rammed into her, shocking and nearly flattening her onto the wall. Electrified and badly bruised, Ruto watched as the Chu Jelly slinked backwards, ready to attack again. She fell onto her side, in pain and trying to stay conscious.

" _ **GRAH!"**_

Her eyes widened as the Chu Jelly was set ablaze by black and purple flames. It exploded in a plume of smoke and Ruto saw a horrible sight in the fire and smoke. Two glowing, blood red eyes stared at her as if piercing into her soul and their owner launched himself towards her. She was lifted into the air and pinned into the corner she had been trapped in and saw a seemingly-consumed-by-rage Oni.

In an old and odd dialect of Hylian, the man bellowed in a dark voice, _**"WHAT? WHERE'S RALIS!"**_

"'R-Ralis'? My granddad?" Ruto asked, getting flustered as Oni had grabbed her roughly

He then slammed her onto the wall, hitting her head and yelled, not sounding anything like himself, _**"WHERE IS HE?"**_

"What? Why? He's all the way out in the southern oceans! What do you want with him and why are you yelling like that?" Ruto asked, getting more terrified as fangs suddenly bared from his mouth.

As if coming back to his senses and right before his appearance completely changed, Oni calmed down, releasing the horrified Zora. He backed away, grabbed his face and groaned. Falling to his knees and then on all fours, Oni gasped and looked around. Ruto noticed his eyes were back to normal…or as normal as a Twili's could be.

"What happened? Why does my head hurt? Ruto? Are you okay over there?" Oni said, back on his knees and holding his head.

Ruto, still injured, fell to the floor, holding her staff close as she no longer trusted the man before her. He approached, only for the Zora girl to flinch when he did. Hurt, Oni asked her, "What happened? Why's your face bruised up? And why can't you stand? Do you need a potion or something?"

"I'm…I'm fine…I'm…fine…de…" Ruto said, her consciousness going in and out.

* * *

"H-Hey! Don't pass out on me!" Oni yelled.

She ignored that and did so, falling onto her left side. Oni checked his pockets for anything he brought and found no healing items. Ruto's shivering caught his attention and she trembled violently. Oni noticed the charm around her neck was no longer there and the scale hanging from her right bracelet was cracked. Spotting the fallen sapphire charm at Ruto's right, Oni picked it up and saw its shape was in the same shape as Nayru's Sigil.

He put in it his pocket, thinking to fix it for her later. Another sound caught his attention and the man saw a large treasure chest manifest in the center of the room. Without thinking, Oni rushed for it, opened it and found a lantern.

A flashback where a young man in green carrying one through a miasma-covered forest and a painful headache nearly bowled him over, but Oni persisted, grabbing the lantern and then Ruto.

"I'll get you out of here. Hopefully we'll find some red Chuchus on the way," Oni told her.

Ruto moaned and asked, "Why…Why that?"

Oni, happy that she was coming to, answered her with, "Well, Chuchus drop 'Chu Jelly' and that stuff makes Red Potions, Blue Potions…Purple Potions…"

He turned on the lantern, the light providing warmth and more light in the dimly lit room, and changed his carrying posture. He repositioned the small Zora girl, carrying her piggyback style. The girl held on as best as she could, wrapping her arms around his neck and dropping her staff. Oni thought to pick it up, but with his holding the lantern and carrying Ruto, there was no way to do so. Until it suddenly disappeared into black pixels.

Recognizing it as Twili Shadow magic, Oni figured that it disappeared into something called "hammerspace". He could vaguely remember another Twili telling him how it worked but…

"Where are you taking me?" Ruto asked, still delirious.

"I'm getting you outta here. You're freezing and hurt. And I'm not gonna let you die," Oni told her.

"But…but you're…a dem…" Ruto said, passing out again.

With that, Oni left the room, wanting to get Ruto to warmer areas.

* * *

 _With Mipha and Aryll…_

Still following the delirious Link deeper into the temple, Mipha and Aryll carefully navigated their way through a darkened hallway. Using her spear as a guide, the young Zora was careful not to lead Aryll into fireballs that darted around the room. That and these small, mammal-like creatures called Mulldozers, got in their path. Whenever they encountered one, Mipha would strike with a single swing of her spear, slicing the creatures in two.

After what felt like forever, the two arrived in a room filled with ice, rocks and ice blocks. On the left side of the room were three switches and Mipha took a step forward, relieved that the oddly glowing ice aided her sight and wanting to know what the switches were used for.

"Frick!"

Aryll entered, looking around for the source of the voice and nearly slipping on the ice. She stopped herself successfully and Mipha was pleased. The sound of a thud and a strong curse cut through the silence of the room and the pair saw the blonde-haired Link slowly sliding towards them. He had a scowl on his face and Aryll approached him.

"Hey, are you okay? You had me worried," she asked.

"Why is everything under ice here? I can't keep my footing and it's taking me forever to get that door open," Link said.

Aryll's expression went to that of worry and Mipha wondered why. The girl then responded with, "Um, w-which one are you? I know you're not Link."

"Link" rubbed the back of his head and asked, "You forgot my name again? It's 'Hasan'."

Aryll sighed in relief and Mipha muttered, "What's wrong with him? First, he had darkness cloak him like a veil and now it's manifesting itself as…Oh no…"

"'Oh no' what?" "Hasan" asked, his Hylian accent changing to that of a Gerudo's.

"Um…N-Nothing. We were just told to find you and an artifact called the Water Element. And we're to return to our patron, the guardian of Lanayru province…Lanayru," Mipha told him.

"Hasan" tilted his head and said, "That name sounds familiar, _vai_. So, you want me to go with you and Aryll here?"

"Yes. And I am wondering why you are in here," Mipha told him.

The alter-ego, Mipha assumed, explained to her how he attempted to open the door on the far side of the room, since something told him to keep moving. He spotted the three switches at the room's right and found another three on the left. So, he had spent the past several minutes trying to press all the switches down at once. Why he did so was that the switches were timed, a loud chirp sound filling the air that counted down the seconds, which was fifteen.

"So, all we have to do is run, step on these switches and do so in the time limit?" Aryll asked.

"Uh huh. But I kept falling on my butt every time I tried to rush for a switch. So," "Hasan" told her, struggling to stand without falling back down.

Mipha helped him to his feet and he gave her a grin. He then said something that seemed off.

"You look kinda familiar. Have we met before, _vai_?" he asked.

"No. I'm sure that I would Mister 'Hasan'," Mipha replied.

"Hasan" stumbled a bit, holding his head and moments later, Mipha could sense a shift in the atmosphere. And she didn't like it one bit. The boy groaned and muttered with a very different accent, "Where am I now? This is getting ridiculous…"

Aryll hid behind Mipha and said, "Um…Hi…Bart. You're in a bad mood as usual."

"Bart" looked Mipha up and down and the Zora did the same, as she could've sworn she saw the boy's appearance change. His blonde hair seemed to turn a few shades darker and his eyes held hatred in his azure eyes. Annoyed, he asked, "What's the deal with the fish?"

"Zora," Mipha corrected.

Aryll introduced Mipha to "Bart" and Mipha's mind wandered, wondering if she could…

"Seriously, I don't get why the fish-lady is here. You guys hate the cold," "Bart" said.

"I'm a 'Zora', not a fish-lady," Mipha corrected again.

"Same thing," "Bart" said, turning away in annoyance.

He started paying attention to the switches on the floor and Mipha pulled Aryll away. Keeping her eyes on the mentally disturbed one, she asked, "Does this happen often?"

"Yeah…because of something that happened years ago. Um," Aryll started.

Mipha kept her eyes on "Bart", who stepped on the right-center switch. A loud chirp sound filled the room and "Bart" looked around, wondering where the sound was coming from. He walked a few steps forward, trying to reach the other side of the room, and slipped on the icy floor and into a rock. He seemed to be disoriented and Mipha started to think.

What if she, no the idea was too risky, she thought. But, they needed help.

"Well, I have an idea. If this 'Bart' hasn't a clue on how to solve this puzzle, then maybe we should…" Mipha said.

"Ow…Man, that stung."

Aryll's brother tried standing to his feet and Mipha wondered which person emerged. She saw the aura change around him, going from the dark blue and black wisps that she saw with "Bart" back to a deep red and black striped one with "Hasan". The darkness seeped out of him and she wondered why. Hylians didn't possess the natural ability to use it. So why…?

"Oh, hi again," "Hasan" said, smiling.

Aryll didn't relax and it was justified as Mipha hadn't a clue if the aura would change again. The guy slowly approached, being careful not to slip. He apologized for blacking out for a few moments and Mipha accepted it.

"But I would like for you not to pass out again. We'll need your help in moving forward," Mipha told him.

"Hasan" seemed to understand her and said, "I've already moved most of the ice blocks out of the way. But it's only one of me and I can't hit all of them at once."

Aryll scanning the room one last time, gasped and yelled, "Oh. We can start from the right and rush towards the left. All we have to do is press them all at once, right?"

"Yeah and I moved all those ice blocks out of the way. So, the only thing that'll mess us up is any of us slipping on the ice," "Hasan" added.

Mipha reluctantly agreed, not sure if this "Hasan" would stay. The trio went for the three switches on the right and stepped on them. The loud chirping timer rang out, alerting them to carefully, but swiftly, make their way to the other side. Aryll slid, looking like an ice skater to get to her destination. "Hasan" felt onto his belly, as he tried to run, and slid to his. Mipha, as she performed her slide, saw him slowing and made a swiping motion with her spear. The ice behind him pushed his feet as he was sliding

The chirping became faster and Mipha figured that time was running out. Aryll was the first to make it, sliding to a stop in front of the switch and jumping onto it. "Hasan" was the next to arrive, nearly slamming into the wall and hitting the middle switch. Mipha arrived at the floor switch closest to the door and pressed it right before the rapid chirping stopped. The door in front of her opened and "Hasan" cheered.

"Alright! On to the next one!" he said.

* * *

 _With Oni and Ruto, main hub…_

After managing to push a giant switch by himself and suffering accusing looks from Ruto, Oni watched as a skylight opened up halfway in the ceiling. The light shone onto the Water Element and its altar, but nothing else happened. Well, the room did get significantly warmer, Oni noted.

Ruto moaned and asked, "Can we get closer to the light? Please?"

"Yeah, but why are to still glaring at me like that? I didn't do anything, did I?" Oni said, picking up and carrying Ruto bridal-style.

The two arrived at the altar and Oni placed Ruto down in the sunlight. She seemed to feel better and Oni noticed the bruises and burns she had on her exposed arms and face. He wondered what happened, but figured asking would have her angry at him again.

"I think I'll have to go back. My charm's broken and I'm freezing. I'm no use to anyone in this…" Ruto said.

She was interrupted by the opening of the other side of the skylight. Powerful sunlight poured into the room, warming it and melting the ice around them. The altar's ice melted almost instantly, turning into mist and exposing the Water Element. The blue stone hovered in the air for a few moments and then shot forward towards Ruto.

Sitting there, confused, the young Zora muttered, "This is what Lanayru was looking for? How can something so small unlock a temple?"

"Well, you never know. That spirit-thing probably knows about the lake more than…" Oni said.

The Zora darted her eyes at him, glaring again. Before she could answer, a chipper call rang out in the chamber. Mipha, Aryll and Link…? What was Link doing there, Oni thought, as he was supposed to be...

The trio rejoined them and based on the boy's demeanor, Oni figured that it was "Hasan" in control. With trepidation, Oni greeted him with a, "Hey there."

"Hello. So, who's this?" "Hasan" asked, referring to Ruto.

Ruto slowly got to her feet and the Water Element fell into her hands. The broken charm on Ruto's right bracelet pieced itself back together and Oni felt a rumble in his left pocket. Remembering that he had taken the oddly-shaped pendant that was around Ruto's neck, Oni took it out and it shot itself towards the Zora.

It hovered around her and she took it, giving Oni a distrustful glance. Not paying any attention to what had happened, Link's alter-ego "Hasan", asked, "Um, are we leaving? 'Cause I'm really cold. Seriously, how can you guys live like this? With all this snow? I mean, it's pretty, but cold."

"Adaptation and many charms to regulate our body temperature," Mipha answered.

"Hasan" nodded, taking the Zora at her word and he suddenly fell over. Aryll caught him, nearly falling to the floor doing so. He was still for a moment and Oni found himself holding his breath as he didn't see the boy breathing. Moments later, Link exhaled and Oni did the same, sighing in relief.

Mipha, remembering what Lanayru told them, said, "Well we've found the Water Element and your brother. So we should…"

"Yes, let's go!" Ruto said, getting up and holding onto Oni as she was still injured.

* * *

 _Lanayru Shrine…_

The swirling particles of light that was Lanayru greeted them. Link didn't wake up since they left the Temple of Droplets and the spirit's remains seemed to react greatly to his presence. Oni didn't know why, but a feeling of jealousy crept up within him. He shook his head, ridding his mind of the emotion, and saw Ruto give the swirling particle mass the Water Element. It devoured it, glowing brighter and a shade of pale blue.

" _You…brought him…The Chosen One…But something's…very wrong."_

"Well, yeah! Mipha told me that he's got all these personalities," Ruto said.

The mass hovered over Link, who was placed on the ledge closest to it. It hummed a somber tune and Oni could've sworn he heard it before. Moments passed and the spirit started to shine with powerful light. Oni and the others covered their faces, protecting their eyes from the blinding light.

A loud, horrifying scream filled the air, along with many others. A powerful force pushed the group back, sending everyone flying backwards and hitting the cave walls. The light coming from Lanayru faded and the mass backed away from the still unconscious Link

" _No…This can't be…"_

Dazed, Oni slowly got to his feet and asked, "What's wrong? Why isn't he awake yet?"

" _A powerful curse is…eating away at his very being. You must…purge the darkness…from him. Or else…this world will be…destroyed."_

"How? Won't he just get reborn?" Oni asked, realizing that he sounded a bit heartless moments later.

" _No…The darkness…will cling to him…corrupting him and turning him to evil…Please…"_

Aryll got up and groaned, "Um…Ow…Wh-What can we do? I don't want my brother to die."

"Yeah and we can't have the Chosen One gone now," Mipha said.

" _Take him…to the spring of Ordona…in the southern forests…Hurry…His heart darkness as we speak."_

* * *

 _And there's chapter 17. Okay, everything seems to be coming together. Aryll and Oni's gotten more answers as to why Link's condition's getting worse. So, review?_

 _-miano53_


	18. Chapter 18: A Fallen World

_"Thank you, my young hero. You have saved all seven of the Sages. You have displayed great heroism in crossing the worlds to rescue us. So, this is your just reward. The Triforce of Courage is yours. It will be essential in your battles, though always remember, your courage is what inspires us all..."_

Chapter 18: A Fallen World

 _After defeating the monster masquerading as his fallen friend in a bloody battle, King Ralis glared at the monster as the remaining Zora guards bound it with chains and dragged it back into the abandoned mines of Lake Hylia. This time, they used powerful Water magic to freeze the creature and sealed various pathways that led to it as the exited the mines. Once outside, Ralis destroyed the mine entrance with five bombs and placed a Water magic barrier over it. It would've been considered overkill, but after what he had went through with that…thing, he didn't think it was enough._

" _Milord, we should return to the village," one guard said._

 _King Ralis nodded and saw snow falling from the heavens. He remembered how much colder it had gotten since Link's death, but…_

" _It shouldn't be snowing this early. It's only the ninth month of Darmani!" another noted._

 _The Zora King hoped that it was just a coincidence or a simple cold snap. But he couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible had happened._

* * *

 _14 Rauru, lakeside encampment…_

"Okay, he's been sleeping for a whole day now! Why hasn't he woken up?"

"Calm down, Ruto."

"I can't be calm, Dad! Not when this guy is the Chosen One and practically got a whole bunch of personalities living in his head!"

"He has what now?"

"Multiple personas, Father. I don't know what happened, but perhaps Aryll and her friends can explain more."

Link opened his eyes and up at the ceiling of a deep red tent. He was lying on a cot and was covered in what appeared to be deer skins and wool covers. Seven more cots were in the room and a doorway led to a room where a lot of heat was being produced. Windows covered by flaps let a little light come in and he peered under it to see that it was snowing outside and quite dark.

He wondered where he was and could only remember lying in a snow-covered field outside of the capital. And everything else…was a complete blank, so he hoped that he didn't do anything to harm anyone.

"Oh! Guys, he's awake!" a familiar voice rang out.

Aryll came barreling into the room, nearly knocking Link over when she tackled/hugged him. When he returned the embrace, she cheered.

"You're back! You're back! You're back!" she said.

He was about to ask her what had happened to him when two fuchsia-hued, fish-girls in robes entered. The term "Zora" was brought to his mind and he remembered the elders in Aboda telling him that they had moved to warmer climates. But why were they in Hyrule proper, he wondered?

"So, he's back to his normal self, Aryll?" the Zora in a blue robe and white cape asked.

Aryll nodded and said, "Yeah, Mipha. He's back. Link is back."

The Zora girl, Mipha, introduced herself, saying, "Hello. I'm Mipha De Bon of the Zora tribe. And the one in a red cape is my twin sister, Ruto. And you're Link, right? Nice to meet you."

Link dared not speak as he was terrified that the new girls would judge him over his stutter. Apparently, they already knew about his alleged mental malaise. So, he dared not add anything else to that.

Ruto seemed to be offended by his silence, asking, "What? I know we seem weird looking to ya, but you can at least say something."

Another familiar voice said, "He's not going to say anything to you two. Or to anyone he doesn't trust."

Agitha stood in the doorway, her facial expression almost unreadable. To Link it looked like a mixture of irritation and disappointment. He didn't know why she was so angry at him. He hadn't done anything to her…right?

"Oh, he really is awake!"

Groose pushed past the angst-filled girl as well as Karane and Pipit. The mostly happy group surrounded Link's bed and he felt as if he was being smothered. Perceptive to what Link was feeling, Oni appeared, telling the group, "Guys, c'mon. You're suffocating him."

Aryll backed away and the others left the room. Oni sat on the bed next to Link's and said, "Welcome back, man."

"Um…W-Wh-What…hap-hap…?" Link asked.

Ruto, surprised, said, "Wow, didn't know he stuttered."

Link felt embarrassed, inwardly cowering. But at the same time, annoyance and anger started to rise. He didn't know why, but ignored it in favor of the feeling embarrassed.

"My dad wants to talk to you. So, if you're up for it, join us, guy," Ruto told him.

" _C'mon. Let's go."_

"Di-Did you say s-something?" Link asked Oni.

Oni shook his head and Link turned to Aryll. She simply said, "Nope."

" _Seriously, why aren't you out of bed yet? Lazy bum."_

'Not again…' Link thought.

He reluctantly followed the voices instructions and left the cot. The boy nearly gasped as his clothes had changed from the tattered, white clothes he worn to a green, wool shirt and thick, black pants. Open fingered gloves covered his hands and wrists, covering the Mark of Farore and his Holy Relic birthmarks. Aryll smiled and said, "Before you…or…um…'Raven' passed out, he picked it out for you, figuring that it would've been better than the messed-up clothes you had. And…um, this is weird to talk to you like this…"

"It is, but he wanted to apologize too, saying that it's rude for him to 'takeover' when he's 'awake'," Oni added.

Link found it weird as he didn't know about the other 'personas' he had. And he didn't know how he got them. But…

" _Hello?_ Aren't you guys coming in here?" Ruto said, peeking into the room again.

"Okay. We're coming. Let's go, Link," Aryll said.

He nodded, following his sister and Oni into the next room.

* * *

" _So, he is in Lake Hylia?"_

" _Yes, milord. We sealed him within the abandoned mines there. Sir?"_

" _Don't expect it to go easy next time. If the monster escapes, it'll come after you first. Remember that."_

" _Won't it come after you too, Your Majesty?"_

" _Yes, but I will be prepared if it comes to that."_

* * *

"So, how are you feeling, Link?" Pipit asked.

Link opened his mouth to speak, but when he saw Lord Sidon and his children stare at him, he quickly closed it. Karane tried to coax him into talking, saying, "They're not going to make fun of you or think you're cursed over a little stutter like how everyone does back home."

"A little?" Agitha interjected.

Karane glared at her and Mipha said, "It's okay. You can talk to us. You're safe here. We won't make fun of you."

"Yeah, 'cause I'm not in the mood for seeing any violent mood swings from you," Ruto added.

Link gave her a confused expression and she said, "Oh, Mipha told me about 'Bart' and 'Hasan'."

He looked to Aryll, who said, "Those are…um…the other two that showed up."

"One's really friendly and apparently thinks he's a Gerudo. So, he's got a bit of an accent. Like how Groose did when he first came to the village," Karane said.

Groose nodded and said, "And that other guy's 'Bart' or 'Bartholomew'. Man, he's a racist jerk. Hates me for some reason and can't stand other races."

"He kept calling me a 'fish-lady'," Mipha added.

Link felt terrible, hearing all the information about that one persona. But at the same time, something wanted him to defend that kind of behavior. Continuing, Pipit added, "Oh and wasn't there one named 'Raven'?"

"Yeah, he's nice, but that one's kinda quiet. And that one was the one that changed you out of those tattered clothes," Aryll said.

"Then there's 'Ravio' and two others that called themselves 'Link.' But one spoke a very old language and the other was confused he was in the mountains," Aryll added.

Agitha, ignoring what everyone was saying, told him, "They're just representations of Link's mental state. Nothing more."

"Can't be. That Sheikah said that he's the…" Aryll said.

"So, you would take the word of a loyalist Sheikah over your own people?" Agitha asked.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Karane asked.

"Yeah, you're sounding a lot like 'Bart' now," Pipit told her.

Agitha rolled her eyes and said, "I can't believe you guys actually think that these 'people' are real. They're just mental manifestations of all the turmoil that's in Link's head. If anything, he needs to go back to that hospital and take that medicine that was given to him."

Link shook his head and his angry sister said, "What do you mean no? If anything, that stuff helped with your seizures."

The boy shook his head again and Agitha rolled her eyes.

"Fine, then. Keep having your seizures. See if I care. That's all you're ever good for," Agitha said, storming out of the tent.

Aryll sighed and told the awkwardly quiet group, "Um, don't mind her. She's been like this since our dad died."

"What? Angry and Angsty?" Ruto asked.

"Yeah. I'm sorry," Aryll said.

Mipha smirked and said, "You're like Ruto and me. Polar opposites."

"WHAT? I'm not that different from you!" Ruto yelled.

Lord Sidon smiled and said, "Yes, you are."

"FATHER! How could you?!" Ruto yelled.

"See? Mipha's quieter and more patient than her sister. While Ruto's bolder and quite spoiled. Well, I'm to blame. I spoiled the girls and it seems that Ruto's been spoiled rotten," Lord Sidon said.

"I'm not spoiled rotten! I'm just…" Ruto started to say.

"Demanding, mean, incredibly spoiled…" Mipha muttered.

Her twin glared at her and Lord Sidon cleared his throat.

"Anyway, I heard that you're the one that we've been looking for. The Chosen Hero Reborn," Lord Sidon said.

Link looked around, wondering why everyone didn't seem to concern about what the older Zora had said. He remembered his grandmother saying the same thing, but his mother refused to believe it. And he was the same, knowing that all "Heroes" died young and are never recognized as saviors. Also, he didn't want to die and he didn't think himself as heroic. If anything, he thought himself as a coward and Agitha's constant calling him that and other things in his life solidified that.

"Um, so…you've waited here for him?" Pipit asked.

Mipha nodded and answered him with, "Our tribe always believed that the 'Kingslayer' was innocent of his crimes and never attempted to harm Saint-Princess Midna or anyone else. He was only doing the task that was assigned to him by the gods, defeating the King of Twilight and freeing Hyrule from the scourge of unnatural twilight."

"But, didn't he get the name for trying to kill the first emperor?" Karane asked.

"That we don't know, but it seems improbable. If anything, I believe that he would've tried to warn him about the Usurper. And since that era's princess was killed, the only one that he could've talked to about the fate of the Twili would've been the emperor. So, I think that maybe it was a case of mistaken identity as it was said that the 'Kingslayer' was a kind soul, not willing to fight unless it was necessary," Mipha added.

"Meaning that most likely someone changed the stuff in the history books," Ruto said.

"Oh, so…are you saying we were lied to?" Aryll asked.

"Not lied to. More like caught up in Hyrulian propaganda," Mipha answered.

"Yeah, we would know more if we were able to talk with him," Ruto said, cutting her eyes at Link.

The boy was uncomfortable under her gaze and Lord Sidon warned, "I'm afraid that should not be attempted. You say that he already has trouble keeping himself under control, because of those other personalities that you say that he has. I'd rather tell him why we've waited for his current self to appear instead of asking his previous incarnation from over a millennium ago."

"Alright…Well, the other reason why we're here is that we're trying to find out why our oceans started to freeze. Like we must have tropical temperatures in our waters, or else everything goes out of whack," Ruto told everyone.

"That has resulted in the rapid loss of our habitat, Zora children not hatching from their eggs…" Mipha added.

The idea of Zoras hatching from eggs shocked Groose and he seemed to be the only one, prompting Karane to mutter, "That was in Hyrulian Biology 1020, Groose."

"So, we came here to find out why the waters around the world are turning into ice and what we can do to stop it. But we couldn't find a way to do so, as Lanayru told us to head for the Water Temple, or Lakebed Temple. But the place is sealed underneath the ice," Lord Sidon said.

Oni piped up, telling him, "But we gave Lanayru that Water Element stone, so shouldn't the lake ice start to melt or something?"

"You have? Great. Then an opening in the ice should lead us to the temple," Lord Sidon said.

Link raised his hand, garnering everyone's attention. Uncomfortable, but wanting to know more, he asked, "Um…I-I…W-W-Wh-What…does th-this h-have to d-d-do wi-with me? I-I'm-I'm no hero or any-anything."

"Well, it has everything to do with you. And man, I really didn't think that you were that bad of a stutterer," Ruto said.

He felt self-conscious and was going to withdraw into himself when Mipha assured him that her sister wasn't trying to make fun of him. She was only stating the obvious and what she was thinking. A bad habit of hers, as she lacked tact, according to Mipha.

Ruto glowered at her again and Lord Sidon said, "Well, we're not going to force you to go on your quest. But, we must tell you the sorry state our world has found itself in. Since the time of the first emperor, the elements that govern our world has fallen out of balance. Monsters have run rampant in places that used to be safe and foul darkness seems to radiate from formerly sacred places, the capital being the one that produces the most."

"And the world freezing and constantly being under these dark clouds also reflects that state. Besides that, we've also heard from the Gorons that the element of fire is dying, places like Death Mountain, Subrosia, Fire Mountain and Dragon Roost are turning cold, unnatural for their residents. And then the element of the forest, plant-life and the like, are dying even in the southern and ocean regions. Water in the oceans, lakes and rivers are disappearing, either turning into ice or disappearing altogether."

"The winds have become violent and unstable. The earth, where you can find it not under ice, can barely sustain life and rots away, affecting plant life. The light from the sun barely seeps through the thick snow clouds and the dark nights seem to drag on forever. And then lost souls barely reach the afterlife, giving the rise of undead creatures and everything seems to be falling into darkness."

"So, what does this have to do with him?" Groose asked for Link.

"Well, the various things happening in the world are all affected by the elemental magics that govern our world, which has gone haywire. The Chosen Hero, Princess of Destiny and Wielder of Power are directly connected and affected by any changes in the magical energies that encircle our planet. They can draw on those energies, enhancing their powers," Lord Sidon explained

Link would've asked how, or hoped someone would do so for him, but Mipha added her comment.

"Sages are similar, drawing from their respective elements. But no one's seen a sage since the Hero perished long ago. With the Sages, the Hero, Princess and the Hero and Princess's guardians would go and face off against evil, wherever it may appear. But since the Princess and the ancient Hylian royal line was lost and the Hero defeated, the balance with the elements have been lost and has tipped in favor of the Wielder of Power. That and the growing darkness that's adding to the mayhem, brought on by those who were Wielders…" the young Zora said.

Lord Sidon nodded, saying, "Yes…And the three are incredibly important as their existence keeps our world balanced between the forces of Power, Wisdom and Courage. If the balance is lost, then the world will meet its end. So, think of them as a 'trinity' of sorts."

Link was a bit lost, as what they had said was practically information overload. He looked to the others, who was just as lost as he was. Karane, the only one to do so, rapidly took notes on some parchment that she had. Groose scratched his head, confused. Oni was lost in thought. Pipit seemed to not believe them and Aryll gave worried glances over to Link.

"So, do you know what you gotta do, kid?" Ruto asked him.

"You're younger than he is. So why are you calling him kid?" Mipha asked her.

Her twin glowered at her again and Link shook his head. The only thing that he figured was that they were saying that there were three people, he supposedly being among them, who were incredibly important. So important, that if they didn't exist, the balance in the world would go down the drain.

"So, what can we do? What can Link do?" Aryll asked.

"For starters, _we_ can't do anything, not unless your brother decides to follow his destiny," Mipha told her.

Link turned his gaze onto the floor, not wanting to look the Zoras in the eye. He really didn't want to, thinking that he was still not hero material. That and, what if he failed like the last time?

'Huh? Where did that thought come from? That guy was a traitor, right?' Link thought.

" _No, I wasn't."_

Link jumped, looked around and dreaded what was happening. He put his face in his hands, hoping that he wasn't losing it again. Oni seemed to notice and said, "You're not going to mess up or anything."

His eyes met Oni's deep red ones and the young man told him, "We're here to help you this time. So, you don't have to worry about failing. We'll help you save the world."

"Yeah! I'll help anyway I can! I know how to use a sword a bit…and a shield. And Karane and Groose are good with a bow. And Pipit and Oni's great at using swords too," Aryll said, grinning at her brother.

"B-B-Bu…?" Link started, quickly clamping his mouth shut as his stutters were embarrassing.

" _What about your sister? The mean one?"_

"Agitha's going to have to decide for herself what she's going to do. I don't know why she hates you so much, but it's unacceptable," Oni said, as if hearing the voice.

Link kept silent, internally sighing as he knew that she hated him since their father died. She always blamed him for his death, but he didn't see how he was responsible. The few things that he could remember about his father was how he would always venture out to get his medicine, that disgusting-tasting Purple Potion, and the man's name, Sigmund. Everything else was blank, causing many to declare the boy cursed in his village.

But what if he really was responsible for the man's death? Would that be the reason he couldn't...?

Oni brought him back from his dark thoughts and asked, "So what can Link do to start? He does have quite a bit of magic, I should know as he attacked me with it. But I dunno if he knows how to use a sword or any weapon. And relying on those 'others' of his is a terrible idea."

"I'll teach him!" Aryll cheered.

"I will too, but Link…" Pipit said.

Link faced him and his yellow-wearing friend said, "I need you to not be afraid to hold a sword. Seriously, especially if we get attacked by monsters."

"Not just monsters. There are those from the capital that will try to stop you from restoring the world to its former glory. And they will do anything to stop you. Trust me," Lord Sidon said.

Mipha nodded and said, "Our presence here is a secret to everyone. And Ruto and I will help you as much as we can."

"And I as well. But before we can do anything…Link, you must accept the life of the Hero. We can't force you to do it, to save our world, as we're not you. So…? Do you accept?" Lord Sidon said.

Link looked at everyone's expecting faces and he couldn't…He couldn't do it. If he tried, he was sure that he would fail and the world would be worse off. And how could a coward like him be a Hero? There's no way…

Oni placed a hand on his shoulder and said, "Hey, don't worry. Like I said, we'll be here to help you."

"B-b-b-but…!" Link stammered.

"No buts! You're gonna save the world, and we'll help you, whether you like it or not!" Ruto yelled.

Link felt small as the Zora girl stood over him, demanding his cooperation.

" _Well, let's see if we can try again."_

'We?' Link thought, the odd voice speaking to him.

" _Yeah. Like the old saying, 'Do or do not. There is no try."_

'Um, isn't that from Keyblade Wars?' Link thought, remembering a certain book where three key-sword slinging warriors fought a great evil.

He then realized that everyone was still staring at him while he was lost in thought. With uncertainty and certain that he had no choice in the matter, he muttered, "Um…o-okay. I-I'll…um…I'll d-d-do it. I'll help."

"Yes! And he didn't stutter that last bit!" Aryll cheered.

The Zoras were pleased and Oni said, "Well, before we even attempt to save the world, Link needs to train and learn how to use a sword and we need a game plan. Like, even though we have access to that temple underneath the ice, I doubt we can access much of the temple."

"Yeah, you're right. Okay! First things first, we train Link in fighting and the elements! And then we'll chart out where we'll need to go," Ruto said, practically commanding the group.

" _Wow. She's bossy."_

'Yeah, but I think she means well. I think,' Link thought, oddly becoming comfortable with mentally communicating with a disembodied voice.

* * *

"So, what are we to do, Lady Impa?" Sheik asked, standing on top of one of the snake statues outside of Lanayru's shrine.

She was joined by Midna, who stood on top of another, and Fi, who used Wind magic to stay airborne. The three didn't pay much attention to Agitha, who ran out of the makeshift Zora village and headed for the old road to the Gerudo Desert. Instead, they contacted Impa, wondering what to do as it was confirmed about Link's identity. The law demanded his immediately execution, but…

"Yes? What? But, what if…? I understand…" Sheik said, speaking to her commander over the Gossip Stone.

The green glow of the stone faded and Fi asked, "Um, so what are we going to do?"

"Yeah. I'm not looking forward to fighting a guy like that. And isn't his mom expecting us to take him back to Sunnyside?" Midna asked.

"Lady Impa wants us to keep watch over him. And even teach him how to deal with the Shadow Corps, since they're after him," Sheik told them.

"Uh…How? We couldn't even beat them during the test. So how can the three of us teach him how…?" Midna asked.

"We can just help him by teaching him Sheik's fighting style. Most in the Corps are Sheikah and they fight like how she does," Fi said.

"I guess. But…" Midna said.

Sheik agreed, saying, "I don't see any alternative. And there aren't many that you either Midna or your fighting styles, Fi. You both self-taught yourselves and I was taught how to fight by Impa, like most of the Corps."

"Well, I'm not in the business of killing anyone except for Hylian supremacists," Midna told them.

"And I don't want to kill anyone. So, I'll help that guy. But, is it true that all that bad stuff's happening around the world?" Fi asked.

"And that's our secondary objective from Impa. If we go with him and protect him, we can find out," Sheik said.

"Okay. I'll follow you, Sheik," Fi told her.

Midna agreed the same way and Sheik gave the order, "We'll keep tabs on him and only disappear if we sense any member of the Shadow Corps. We cannot be seen by them as what Impa gave us is most likely treasonous. And, if we are caught, we'll have to do the unthinkable. Understood?"

"I guess…" Fi answered.

"Seriously, it shouldn't come to that if we're careful," Midna told her.

* * *

 _And after a long hiatus, here's chapter 18. Is Link really starting to accept the life of the Hero, or is he doing it to save face? Stay tuned._

 _And I wonder if anyone got the "Keyblade Wars" reference…_

 _-miano53_


	19. Chapter 19: Forgotten Knowledge

" _You may be destined to become the Hero of Legend…but your current power would disgrace the proud green of the hero's tunic you wear. You must use your courage to seek power...and find it you must. Only then will you become the Hero for whom this world despairs."_

 _-unknown_

Chapter Nineteen: Forgotten Knowledge

 _Little Aryll and Agitha sat in the small living room of their home, silent since their father's funeral. Granny Matilde had stayed behind in the chapel, speaking with the elders on what to do next. Lydia headed to her room, shutting the door behind her and sobbing uncontrollably. Link, however, went to his room and just stood there, staring at the walls._

 _Agitha, wiping some tears, said, "He is cursed and we're cursed too for having him here. He's the reason why Dad's gone. If he didn't have those fits…then Dad wouldn't have had to go to the city to get medicine and the village wouldn't treat us all so bad."_

" _They don't treat us bad. They treat him bad. And why are you blaming Link's fits? It's not like he can help…" Aryll argued._

" _NO! If he hadn't gone up that mountain…! If he hadn't gone there and taken that pendant and fell like that, Dad would still be alive! And…And he wouldn't be like this! That guy in there isn't my brother. He's a murderer!" Agitha yelled, almost screaming._

 _Aryll tried to speak, hoping her sister would stop talking like that, only to end up crying. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed, "Link's still there and he didn't kill anyone!"_

" _No, he's not! He's been gone since the accident!" Agitha yelled._

" _No! He's still there! So, shut up!" Aryll bellowed._

" _YOU DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" Agitha shouted, slapping her twin._

 _The two started fighting, each saying what Link was and was not. As the twins fought, they didn't see that Link had overheard them and was horrified to see the girls slapping and kicking each other._

 _Holding his head and a pained expression on his face, the boy meekly said, "S-St-stop it…Stop…Stop fi-fight-fighting."_

 _Agitha tackled Aryll to the floor and pinned her there. She demanded for Aryll to admit that she was right and her twin was wrong, but Aryll refused. Link cried out in pain and yelled, various voices joining with his, "STOP IT!"_

 _A powerful surge of energy sprang from him, hitting the girls and sending Agitha sailing towards a wall. She hit it, striking the back of her head and nearly falling unconscious. He collapsed to his knees and chanted, rocking back and forth, "Stop it. Stop it. Stop it. Stop it."_

 _As he spoke, Agitha could've sworn his voice rapidly changed from light to dark to one single voice to many and vice-versa. She sat up, placed a hand on the back of her head and found that she was bleeding. Terrified, the girl was about to scream when Lydia came out of her room, rushing for Link instead of her._

 _Aryll, however, noticed and yelled, "Ma! Agitha's bleeding!"_

 _Lydia, holding Link close to her, eyes widened at the sight of her injured child._

* * *

 _16 Rauru, near road to Gerudo Desert…_

Sounds of sword clanging filled the air as Link and Pipit sparred. Within the last two days, the boy had learned the basics of using a sword. He seemed to have gotten over his fear of holding a weapon, but Aryll wondered if he was still afraid as he didn't look confident in fighting. As she sat in the snow, watching the two spar near an old, stone watchtower, Oni approached and joined Aryll in observing them.

He seemed to have a look of disappointment on his face and asked, "Why is Link on the defensive? Pipit's just using a few horizontal swings."

"Yeah, he still looks scared. I don't know why he's scared of every kind of weapon, but he's especially afraid of swords," Aryll told him.

"Yeah? Why?" Oni asked her.

"I dunno. It's been like this since the accident. Like before, he had wooden swords he would play with, but after…We had to destroy the wooden swords he had because he would scream if one was near him. And then Mom and Dad would have to hide the sight of their weapons from him," Aryll sighed.

Pipit parried Link after he had attempted a jump strike. He struck Link in the chest with a kick, sending him falling onto his backside. With a groan, Pipit told him, "Okay Link. You have to actually try."

"I-I-I w-was…" Link stammered.

Oni joined them, holding a black sword in his hand, which Aryll was so sure he didn't have before they left the city, and said, "Pipit's right. Your stance was completely off. You could've been more aggressive with your attacks and you left yourself wide open when you attempted a jump strike."

"Yeah, what he said," Pipit told him.

Link stood to his feet and looked to the ground. Aryll saw his grip loosen and he looked ready to drop it. Oni grinned and said, "Okay. Spar with me."

"Huh? W-Wh-What? W-w-w-wh-why?" Link uncontrollably stammered.

"Well, Pipit taught you the basics…or attempted to," Oni started.

Pipit took offense and yelled, "Hey! It's not like he's willing to learn."

Oni ignored him and said, "Okay, Link Let's see your horizontal slash."

He held up his obsidian-colored sword, that Aryll seriously swore he didn't have before, in a defensive posture and beckoned Link to strike. Link meekly swung, his sword making a small clink sound on contact. Oni rolled his eyes and said, "That's it? C'mon, try to disarm me."

"N-No…Um…I-I'm…I'm not st-strong en-enough," Link told him.

The man sighed and said, "Okay. Then try a vertical swing."

He held his blade horizontally and still on the defensive. Link swung, making another meek strike and Aryll wondered why he wasn't trying. Oni then had him perform a thrust, where he moved out of the way as Link charged forward, and left himself wide open in Aryll's eyes. When he did, Oni hit the boy on the shoulder with the flat of his sword and asked for him to try a jump strike. Link did so and Oni jumped backwards, leaving Link wide open again.

If he was sparring with Aryll, the girl was sure that she would've checked him on that. Tired, Link asked if they were done, to which Oni said, "Training with the sword all starts with the mind, young page."

"Uh?" Aryll said aloud, not getting it.

Oni's toothy smile widened and he said, "Meaning that you gotta train yourself mentally, not be afraid of wielding a sword and practice, practice, practice!"

* * *

 _Two days later, 18 Rauru, outside of Lanayru's shrine…_

Still with her brother and sitting at his side on some stone stairs, Aryll observed as Ruto took it upon herself to teach Link more about the elements. Both got the basics, remembering what their elders had taught them for their exams. But Ruto wasn't satisfied, yelling, "Kid, you need to learn more than what they are. You need to learn the essence of each element, like why they do what they do!"

"Um…" Link started.

"Um what? Speak up and stop being so self-conscious," Ruto demanded.

Aryll raised her hand and Ruto became quickly annoyed.

"Why are you doing that? We're not in a class…Well, we kinda are because I'm the teacher. Okay, what?" Ruto asked.

"What do you mean by essence?" Aryll asked.

"I mean the properties of each element, like personality, nature, what its strengths and weaknesses are. You get the picture," Ruto answered.

Using a stick that she found, the pink-hued Zora drew in the snow and channeled magic into it, drawing the image of a green circle connected to a curved tree branch. She flicked the stick, sending the image into the air, where it appeared as green light. Aryll was amazed and Link seemed to be lost and confused, looking back down where Ruto drew the image and then at the floating light before him.

She started with, "That is the symbol of Forest element and the fabled Kokiri Emerald. Forest is the element of friendship, protecting those it surrounds and repelling all that would bring harm. Forest magic carries with it the power of plants, flowers, grasses and well any kind of flora. It carries life and even has life-saving properties. It can also be a bane, sending out pollen that confuses anyone it come into contact with. The reason why no one goes into the forests in the far south. Also, it's kinda an offshoot of Water magic, but that's neither here nor there."

"Isn't that the same type of magic Agi wanted to…?" Aryll asked Link.

"Anyway! The Sage of the Forest can draw on that power, turning peaceful forest into dangerous ones, if they become evil, create boon crops and even grow plants in environments that usually can't support plant life well," Ruto said.

"Oh! Like Eris from Last Reverie VII*!" Aryll cheered, getting it.

"Yeah…Like that character. Anywho, the last sage was that of the lost Kokiri. She, before the Kokiri's guardian perished, dispelled the magic that surrounded the forest, allowing for other people to settle in the forest. And our next element is…" Ruto added.

She drew the image of flame and channeled magic into it, doing the same as she did with the drawing of the Forest element. The Fire image went airborne and situated itself to the right of the Forest and bumped into it. The two images faced each other, as if they were alive, and then back to Link and Aryll.

Ruto nodded and said, "This is the symbol of fire and the fabled Goron's Ruby. Fire is the element of passion, reasons why you humans still say things like 'a fiery passion'. Anyway, Fire can either build or destroy, depending on the user. It provides warmth and light in dark nights as well as create firestorms and unleash heck everywhere, if they wanted to and was powerful enough. Those in tune with Fire magic includes the Subrosians and powerful Gorons."

She then sketched the image of three circles connected by a charm that almost looked like a snowflake to Aryll. After sending it airborne along with the Fire and Forest sigils, Ruto grinned and told them, "And this here is the symbol of Water and the Zora's Sapphire. Unlike the Kokiri Emerald or Goron Ruby, we still have our Spiritual Stone. But…Anyway, the element's the element of love and loss, changing quickly like any tempest would. Like Fire, Water can be a force for good or of evil. If you want an example on how it could be used for evil, look up what happened with a guy named Raven Schultz."

Aryll would've asked if Ruto had paused to breathe. The Zora continued her long explanation, saying, "Water users like Zoras and some humans can snatch the moisture from the air, plants and even various bodies of water. So, like this."

She struck the snow around her and it rose in the air and quickly turned into liquid. She then pointed at Link, who was horrified that she aimed for him. The water shot forth, rushing towards him and he shut his eyes. Aryll rolled out of the way and gasped as the water suddenly turned to snow inches from his face.

Ruto looked surprised and the boy opened his eyes, a tinge of gold in his normally sapphire blue eyes. Link shook his head and Ruto said, "Well, at least you didn't flinch much. Oh well. Next up is…!"

She drew the image of an eye with a teardrop. It went airborne like the others, glowing a pale purple color, and hovering by its lonesome. The other sigils kept their distance and Aryll thought the teardrop eye was an unnerving image.

Link asked, "Wh-What's th-that?"

"That is the symbol of Shadow and the tribal image of the Sheikah, the Shadow Folk. The Twili have a similar image, just a lone eye. Shadow is the element of secrecy and its wielders can use shadows to make things like weapons, shields barriers and even use shadows to discern truth. I don't know how, but they can. And…and this is a bit terrifying. Some can even use shadows to control people and object, something called telekinesis. So, most Twili and Sheikah get a side eye from most folk, even where I live," Ruto said.

The next sigil she drew was that of two curved teardrops with small holes in the center. It looked like two Amber Relics put together. Or two Dusk Relics. The sigil pulsated with orange and purple light and rushed for the others. It was wary of the Shadow emblem and the others.

Ruto told them, "And this is the symbol of Spirit magic and the symbol of the Gerudo. Spirit magic is the element of change and reflects the metamorphosis that people go through in life. The more people experience and the more they let them get stronger, the more powerful that brand of magic becomes. Those who can use Spirit magic are Gerudo, Hylians, some of you 'round-ears', some Twili and even some Gerudo half-breeds. Abilities include telepathy, mind control, illusion casting, similar to Shadow magic, and hyper awareness. And if you come in contact with a powerful Spirit magic user, you should be prepared to fight for your mind."

Link started to turn pale and Aryll figured that he was getting psyched out. Ruto didn't and went to the next element, Earth. She drew something that looked like a primitive drawing of a mountain and did the same as she had done with the previous emblems. It bobbled up and down, almost as if it was unsure to join the other elements. Link reached out to touch it and it landed in the palm of his hand, as if comfortable.

"Oh, I guess you have an affinity for Earth magic. Hmm…Anyway, Earth is the element of stability and stubbornness. The earth itself can be a boon, being a solid foundation for houses and other buildings, or it can be a bane, cracking open and swallowing cities whole. Those who know how to use that magic are the Gorons and Mogma, with Gorons being practically made from Earth magic. Mogmas are some kind of mole-people-things…" Ruto said.

"Oh. B-b-but are-aren't you…um…kinda a f-fish thing?" Link asked.

Aryll remembered that Bart called Mipha and Ruto that, so she inched away, thinking her brother was going to lose himself. His confused expression, however, made her relax a bit. But not much.

Ruto, however, bellowed, "For the last time, I am not a FISH LADY! I am Ruto, one of the 12 princesses of the Zoras and descendant of the fabled Water Dragon, Farona! So if anything…"

"You're dragon people?" Aryll asked.

"No…Well, kinda. Um, all I know is that we're her descendants and proud of it two!" Ruto yelled.

She continued her explanation, telling Link that to draw on the power of Earth magic, one must be incredibly stubborn, virtually unmovable. Those with those kind of personality traits and can use its power make powerful Earth magic wielders. She grinned, telling him that the abilities included super strength, durability, the ability to move rocks and the very earth itself.

Drawing three wavy lines with swirling curves at each end, Ruto said, "And the penultimate element is Wind. Wind is the element of freedom and wayfaring, valued by the few remaining sailors and our aerial postal workers, the Rito. When its calm, the wind helps carry plant seeds, empowering the forests, provide stable winds for sailing and flying and also cools the land when it's too hot. If not, the wind causes tornadoes, sandstorms, maelstroms, any kinds of storm that involves the wind."

"And then we have the most powerful element: Light. Light is the element of enlightenment. Unlike what most think, it grows stronger and brighter in the presence of great darkness and practically can't be snuffed out. You Hylians are famous for discovering and using it, being 'children of Hylia' and all. Light users can absorb the light around them to perform all kinds of stuff, like light blasts from their hands or staves or wands, teleportation, moving really fast. The only way I can see it being used for evil is if someone attacked with it."

"So, they can move at the speed of light?" Aryll asked.

"Kinda. I've never seen it before, but members of the Imperial Family can use it, as well as Spirit and Shadow magic. And those are all the elements. Any questions, kid?" Ruto asked.

Link shifted his seating position and asked, "Um…S-so…? Can-Can…?"

"Well, only Zoras can learn Water magic. There's only a few exceptions, like the princess from the old royal family. And the Wielder of Power used to have an affinity for Shadow, Fire and Earth magic…And the Hero's incarnations would cycle from Forest, Earth and Wind magic depending on where he would appear. But all had the ability to learn all the elements, but their strength varied based on their natural affinity," Ruto replied.

"Oh, so how could we tell what Link's used to?" Aryll asked.

"Well, he's never used magic before and..." Ruto started.

"RUTO! RUTO!"

The trio saw a Zora guard and Groose rush towards them. Groose had a panicked expression while the Zora seemed to be much calmer. The Gerudo almost ran into Link, but he slid to a halt, surprisingly not falling despite the ice coating much of the stone walkway. He panted heavily, bending down and putting his hands on his knees. He looked up to speak when the Zora said, "Lady Ruto, your sister, Miss Karane and Pipit have returned from their excursion into the Lakebed Temple. They're in your father's hut now with their findings."

Aryll nearly forgot that they had left almost a day ago. They wanted to investigate the temple, after it's long slumber underneath the ice. Their giving Lanayru the Water Element aided in their entering as a road cut through the ice and down towards the temple.

"Alright, I'll be there in a minute. If there's nothing else you wanna know, then let's go back," Ruto told the others.

* * *

 _With Agitha…_

Avoiding the others by staying in Lanayru's shrine, sitting on top of the old stone watchtower with her knees at her chest, or even heading for the other side of the lake, Agitha wanted to be alone. She didn't get what everyone saw in her cursed, amnesiac, multi-persona having, stuttering coward of a brother. How can someone like that be the Chosen Hero? How can one that practically drove her father to his death be heroic?

The Zoras must've gotten it wrong, she thought, rocking back and forth to keep herself warm. Heck, the gods gotten it wrong. Why would they choose a murderer to be their Hero? If that was the case, then the stories of the Kingslayer were…

"There you are."

Agitha jumped, turning around and seeing Oni climbing up the ladder. He grinned and asked, "So, you're camping out here now? In the cold?"

"Leave me alone, Oni," Agitha told him, wrapping her arms around her legs.

"What's wrong? Is it what the Zoras said about Link?" Oni asked.

Agitha refused to answer, not wanting to tell a stranger about her thoughts. He climbed all the way up, joined her and asked, "Is it because you don't believe them about him, despite the fact he got the Triforce mark and the Mark of Farore on the back of his hand? Or do you just hate him that much that you can't see anything good about him?"

"I…! Sh-Shut up! I don't have to explain anything to you!" Agitha yelled.

"And why not? I thought I was a family friend by now," Oni said.

Agitha shook her head and told him, "You're no friend of mine. Now go."

"Whatever. If you really don't believe in your brother, then you should go home. You're practically useless to him and to the mission that he has to do," Oni said, not mincing his words.

"He's not even willing to do it. Just because he said yes, doesn't mean he wants to. I know him well enough to know that he's not willing to do anything. He rather just go through life, not knowing if he's even in reality or not," Agitha said.

"Yeah…But, you need to give him a chance," Oni told her.

Agitha was incredulous, not believing that this Twili stranger would give her advice. She glared at him, telling Oni, "Give him a chance for what? There's no reason to! And I'm not putting my trust in someone that drove _my_ dad to his death, made our mother nearly crazy, drove us from our home, hurt me and my sister and took…!"

Oni tilted his head, curious as Agitha opened up more than ever. She held her mouth shut and Oni asked, "Took what?"

"He…Never mind. Just…go! Okay!" Agitha cried.

The man took it as his cue to leave, finally, but had something to say before he left. He sighed and said, "Well, whatever it was, I just hope that your actions won't lead to anything horrible. I'm going back to the camp. They're having Reekfish stew if you want it."

He climbed down and Agitha was relieved that he was finally gone. She then mumbled, "There's no way for me to love him again. Not after what he did…"

* * *

 _And Agitha's still full of angst and hatred…Will anyone find out what really happened for the fallout between her and Link? Or will it be a secret to everybody? Stay tuned._

 _*And I wonder if anyone gets the reference. If not, it's Final Fantasy VII's Aerith._

 _-miano53_


End file.
